


Raising Connor

by Pizelle



Series: Baby Connor: The YB100 Trials [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe, Baby Connor - Freeform, Caretaking, Cuddling & Snuggling, Father-Son Relationship, Fights, Fluff, Gen, Gun Violence, Harm to Animals, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Original Character(s), Parent Hank Anderson, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-08 18:46:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15249684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pizelle/pseuds/Pizelle
Summary: Following his final meeting with Connor, Hank falls into months of depression until he works up the effort to contact CyberLife about seeing him again. It turns out Connor is just inactive data in their servers with all RK800 units destroyed and discontinued. But CyberLife offers Hank an unusual ultimatum: take care of Connor inside their new YB100 prototype for a short time, and in return have his memories transferred to their new RK900 model.How will Connor handle being in a body that restricts him from the actions he took for granted and wildly amplifies his new emotions, and can Hank handle parenting Connor while helping keep order in the evacuated city?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! This is my first Detroit: Become Human fanfic. I was inspired to write this fic due to all of the adorable 'baby Connor' drawings online. While there is a plot to hold all of this silliness together, if there are any fluffy, cute or silly suggestions for father-toddler son interactions you'd like to see between Connor and Hank in future chapters, feel free to comment with them and I will try to work them in.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think! If a lot of people enjoy it, I will attempt to post chapters even faster. Thanks for reading!

Depression was an ugly beast that haunted Hank Anderson for years. With the loss of his son Cole, everything tanked: his health, his emotions, and his job. He tried to reassure himself that he was at least better than the red ice addicts he put away, taking a big bite of the burger in his hand as he sat in his new living room with the lights down. A drop of mystery sauce oozed from the bottom and landed on his knee, getting licked by Sumo, who was patiently waiting and hopeful for part of the burger to become his.

For a brief period of time, when he thought he'd descended into an inescapable hell by being forced to work with a plastic talking life-sized doll, he thought suicide would be the answer. Instead, the two seesawed and he warmed up to the nosy nice guy. RK800. He introduced himself as Connor, 'the android sent by CyberLife'.

After the protests, the marches, and the FBI making a glorified mess of things, the two managed to help Markus, the leader of Jericho, begin to establish rights and freedoms for androids, with the unfortunate evacuation of humans from Detroit.

But not all humans left. All of the remaining police force had been moved to an apartment complex solely for the staff and their families to reside in for the duration of the androids' revamping of things...however long that would be. A grocery store and an urgent care clinic were within walking distance to help them. For anything hard to get, a trip outside of Detroit would be required. For the most part, they were the only humans left in Detroit. A few squatters stuck behind. The police knew of some, but not all. That fact kept the department on alert. Some humans were just thieves and scavengers, taking goods from the homes of humans. Others had more devious schemes brewing.

Hank had thought that this would at least guarantee Connor some job stability. But it turned out that, despite being free of mostly human control, CyberLife took him back only days after the end of the march, and Hank hadn't heard from him in months. He'd ask Fowler on the rare days that he was in a better mood than usual if the RK800 was returning, but the chief would just shrug, or say "You'd know sooner about it than I would". The rest of the force was indifferent, and even the recently awoken android officers were okay with either outcome. One shocked him by still referring to Connor as the 'deviant hunter'. As much as he hated to admit it, he missed Connor scolding him for his eating habits, those annoying coin tricks he did while idle, and waking up to find the android entertaining Sumo before they went to work.

Like Cole, it seemed as though Connor had died too. The permanent death this time. It was jarring enough watching him get damaged repeatedly, and the one time where he was so damaged, he was considered dead and his memory was moved to another RK800 unit. It was a stupid android for doing what it did.

But it was his stupid android. Not technically, but for as long as it shadowed Hank, it might as well have been his. He still didn't care much for the technological marvels, but Connor became something special. Someone special. And not for discovering deviants in hiding, pursuing them, interrogating them...

And so the roller coaster that was his mental health took a huge dip. Maybe even a freefall. He was losing interest in work, and the new apartment was on the path to ending up like his old house.

There was a knock at the door. Sumo picked up his head and very slowly wagged his tail as Hank forced himself up off the couch, crumbs and salt dropping from his lap and t-shirt. "What!?" The lieutenant yelled, clearly agitated.

"Um, would you like to buy some goodies to help support Troop 64?" A child android greeted Hank when he opened the door, dressed in his khaki uniform and dragging a wagon beside him filled with canisters of nuts and snacks. He wore a sash displaying digital scout badges done in pixel art, and the first set faded out to show the rest.

Hank sighed in annoyance, but cooled down quick. He opened the door and leaned in it, trying to hold Sumo off from ravaging the little boy's assortment. "Sure, why not." He'd always hoped Cole would have joined the scouts. The lieutenant reached into his cavernous pocket for his beat-up wallet. "Here's a question for ya."

The android picked up some almonds and held them up to Hank. "What is your question?"

"What do you sell to androids for your troop? Androids don't need to eat." Their scout leader probably told them this was the most concentrated area of humans left in Detroit.

"Well, our troop leader said a lot of androids are getting modifications so they can taste, and maybe even eat."

Hank arched a single brow in amusement. "What a waste of food. I knew someone who probably would have loved that though." He held out a ten dollar bill. "Just keep the rest."

"This amount is enough for a second container, sir-"

"This is fine. Now go on, get the fuck out of here." The cop shooed the boy off, shutting the door behind him. "Go peddle your wares at C15, he'll buy half your wagon."

Sumo sniffed at the almonds after Hank set the jar on a small end table, and carelessly flopped back onto the couch. The glow of the tv screen illuminated the lieutenant in his t-shirt and old basketball shorts until sleep hit him around eleven o'clock. He woke up at two in the morning to drink a beer and groan about stepping on crushed almond pieces in his bare feet, but four disappeared entirely too fast. 

He went to sleep in his own king-sized bed, and he dreamed about the hospital where his son was born, holding him in his arms in the patient room. It was a dream that quickly twisted into nightmare: a demonized android nurse and crazy doctor with red ice all over his face tossed Connor's thirium-stained corpse on the ground in front of him, then reached menacingly for Cole. Waking up in a cold sweat and with a massive headache, he paced the house, ate some cookies along with a glass of soda, then went back to bed, only to have to wake up an hour later for work.

Work was just below on the first floor, but despite a new building, the same old went down. Coffee, gossip, Gavin's glares, a pile of paperwork stacked on his desk. His computer didn't work right, and it took forever for IT to fix. Fowler nearly had a heart attack while chewing Anderson out, but that was normalcy. The rest of Hank's work day was driving around the city, making sure the androids weren't going crazy. It was a waste of time, because most androids were of the pacifist nature. That was thanks to Markus, the young man who led the peaceful revolution to establishing their basic rights. Humans caused more trouble, and there were few reasons for civilians to be in Detroit.

His lunch hour had arrived, and Hank sat in his car right beside the Chicken Feed. The Chicken Feed unfortunately lacked its sole proprietor, and there would be no hot tips on leads or delicious artery-clogging sandwiches for the time being. Rain felt softly but consistently. Sometimes he thought he saw Connor standing in the rain beside the food truck trailer, but it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

Hank was tired of being tired. A small spark of life in him and the memories of Connor standing beside him silently at the Chicken Feed moved him to shift in his seat, searching his pockets for his cell phone. Maybe Connor was still there, and he could talk to him for a few minutes. That alone would be a boost.

A quick search engine query provided the public number for CyberLife's switchboard. "Thank you for calling CyberLife. Please listen to the following options." An automated voice greeted him. He heaved an annoyed sigh every few moments playing Simon Says with the keypad, waiting to talk to someone that wasn't prerecorded.

Twenty minutes later, the music and advertisements cut out, and he was greeted. "Thank you for calling CyberLife's customer service department. My name is Michelle, how may I assist you?"

Hank sighed, happy to finally reach a live person...er, android, instead of a recording made by an android. That, and androids these days were starting to show a little personality in their speech. It was subtle, but hanging around Connor, he could tell the difference. And it was Connor who was the reason that he even bothered making the call. "Yeah. My name is Lieutenant Hank Anderson."

"How may I help you today, Mr. Anderson?" Michelle responded with kindness.

"I wanted to know how Connor is doing. We worked together on the deviancy cases last November."

"Connor?" It was obvious that Michelle wasn't directly involved in that part of the 'business'. "Oh, you mean model RK800. RK800 has stopped production and is discontinued."

"I knew that. But our RK800. Connor returned to you without damage. Where is he nowadays? Is he working outside Detroit?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Anderson. All RK800 deviant hunters have been destroyed, including the last patched version. The heads of the company felt it was unsafe for free androids to have them around, as their sole purpose was to hunt down deviants. Since most have deviated from their programming, we feared the worst."

Hank's heart sank in his chest, and he made a fist with his free hand so tightly that it subtly shook with anger when the muscles tightened. "Don't fuck with me." he started lowly. "You shits got your freedom and you destroy one of your own!?" He growled softly. Just like that, they'd killed him. "Your explanation is weak."

"Sir, I'm not involved with the research and development department, I could only pull up this information because you were once authorized to view it-"

"Where. Is. Connor!? Tell me the fucking truth." He slammed his fist against the CD player in his old car. "I deserve answers."

"I very badly want to give you answers, but I am not authorized t-" The phone clicked, and the female android's voice cut out. Elevator music streamed through his phone again. That angered him more. He was about ready to throw the blasted thing out the window when a different voice came out of the receiver.

"Lieutenant Anderson?" A deeper female voice questioned.

Hank juggled with the phone, then held it to his ear again. "Your customer service department is shit. Are you her manager?"

"No, I am an MK700 representing CyberLife. You may call me Berty." Berty's voice was warm but sophisticated; an android full of confidence. "I used to assist with RK800's memory transfers. Currently I am the head of the research and development department for civilian quality of life."

"Whatever. I don't care what you have to say to me unless it involves telling me where Connor is."

"Michelle was correct in informing you that all RK800 models have been destroyed. This was done for safety reasons."

"Safety reasons, huh?" Connor may have been designed to be an emotionless detective's assistant, but deviancy changed all that. "Why would you kill one of your own? What was all that pacifist mumbo jumbo you androids spouted supposed to mean?"

"We haven't killed anyone. Connor still exists." Berty's voice never wavered despite Hank's frustrations, though she was subtly annoyed with some of his expressions.

"Where is he?" Hank's volume dropped slightly. He knew it. Connor had so much valuable information about the case. They'd be stupid to get rid of him.

"In storage. He is fine. To compare to humans, imagine Connor being placed in a medically-induced coma, but for long term. Humans can't be comatose for very long, but an android's memory can be stored electronically."

"Are you saying my partner is on a flash drive in somebody's computer?"

"Not a flash drive, but you seem to get the idea. He's in our cloud storage. He is unconscious, experiencing no pain or discomfort."

That didn't seem a fitting fate for Connor. It was like android purgatory from the sound of it. "I'm not convinced."

"Most anything that I say will probably not comfort you, Lieutenant. However, I interrupted the call because I believe that we can both help each other. You see, we wish to return RK800 to the police force to continue working with you. However, RK800 was far too fragile for what happened. I'm sure you recall the interrogation of Ortiz's android."

"You could have told me this months ago."

"You could have informed us that you were staying in Detroit. As I recall, not all officers chose to remain, and some evacuated and joined other police forces in smaller towns."

"Don't get smart with me. Just spit it out."

"I will give you Connor back with a new and improved model: the RK900. The RK900 is stronger, more durable, and makes up for the flaws of the previous model."

Hank scoffed. It was surprising to hear awakened androids referring to his former partner as if he were still just a thing and not a person. "What do I gotta do in return?"

"The RK900 is nearing completion, but requires a couple months of testing. We have a prototype unrelated to RK900 that also requires testing, but not in this setting."

"Another android? And?"

"We would like for you to help test the YB100. It was designed by the same team that created the YK500. Now that androids are creating their own families, they wish to feel more human by including children. The YK500 is a perfect means to help fulfill that dream, but some desire the joy and challenge of raising one younger than that."

They wanted him to test drive a baby android? Hank pulled the phone away for a moment, then held it back to his ear. "So you want me to play father to one of these things?"

"Well...yes. That is exactly what we want you to do."

"What do I sound like to you? I'm a cop, ma'am. If I deal with kids, it's just to take'em to the station to reunite with their moms and dads, or to send'em to juvie."

"Normally it would have its own AI, but we can place Connor inside, since you seem uncomfortable with him being in the cloud."

Hank mouthed 'what the fuck' a few times in disbelief. "...You want me to parent Connor. Why can't you just stick him in another adult android?"

"This is our offer to you, Mr. Anderson. I cannot change the terms. In our opinion, you're the best man for the job. Have you not the experience for this task?"

Hank exhaled loudly into the phone. "Shit, you do your homework. I ain't gonna lie to you, it's kind of fucked up sounding, but honestly here's the thing: I got a new place, yeah, but I don't have the salary for all the crap that comes with parenting."

Berty seemed to have all the answers. "CyberLife will provide a stipend, plus all hardware required."

"You're spending all this money on this model, in return for giving me a brand new partner." Take care of an expensive android, get an expensive android in return. "Where's the fucking catch?"

"This is what CyberLife has agreed to provide for the one willing to participate. Do you wish to think on it? I can't give you much time, but I can give you a day or-"

Hank couldn't believe what he sputtered out, interrupting her. But it was what he desired. "I'll do it. GIve me a day."

"...Very good, Mr. Anderson. We'll prepare Connor for the transfer."

Hank opened his mouth to speak, but the android's farewell was a soft click. His phone disappeared back into his pocket, and he tugged on the lever beside his seat, reclining back slightly to take in and process his impulses and just what he was getting himself into.

But if all of this allowed Connor to be a person again - even just a child - and return to him sooner, he would give it a shot. Throwing on a song from Knights of the Black Death as he started the car, he shook his head and did his best to keep from smiling. The second half of his day would be much easier to endure.

Connor was coming home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor awakens within CyberLife a few months after the evacuation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue in quotation marks is spoken. Dialogue in slashes are silent communications of androids with others or to themselves.
> 
> Connor's dialogue only makes sense to himself, but he can understand others'.

The sound of wind rustling through the trees woke Connor from sleep. He recalled the tale of Rip Van Winkle; unlike the man who slept for 20 years, Connor slept a little more than 20 weeks. He was slow to boot, but he knew right away that he wasn't in Amanda's Garden anymore. It was much too peaceful, and a lot more empty. He lay in the middle of a grassy field filled with beautiful blue flowers. The blue sky made the scenario easily identifiable as another virtual reality, with lines of light coursing beside and on top of each other where clouds were not present.

Amanda was no longer there to greet him, and would not return. Instead, there were digital clock digits before him, counting down from thirty minutes to zero.

/Wake up, Connor./

Connor turned his head to the side at the voice to his left. It sounded distant, but he could feel the subtle vibrations of it. It was gentle and lulling, spoken by a woman he had no record of encountering in the past.

/Connor.../ There was a syrupy sweetness to it that he recalled being used in special circumstances. Specifically between human family members, parent to child or pet owner to animal. Meant to be affectionate and draw attention, usually a pitch higher than a relaxed speaking voice. /Connor, it's time to wake up./ Why call out to him in that manner?

The android slowly rolled onto his stomach, then climbed up off the ground. Ahead of him, in front of the clock, was one familiar landmark. The stonepile pedestal displayed a flat metallic surface with a handprint in the middle of the disc. In the recent past, it was this monument that freed him from Amanda's control. Would touching it again help? There was nowhere else to go, and no other logical action to take.

He was awake now.

~~~

"Connor. Wake up Connor." Berty's patience seemed eternal, though she hid some worry rather well. A long billowing lab coat sat on her shoulders, displaying a blue triangle on the breast and the word 'android' embroidered on the back, but the blue arm band was missing. Its absence was one of the first actions taken by Markus in his peaceful revolution within Detroit.

"Ten minutes have passed. If there is no connection in the allowed half hour time frame, the data may be permanently damaged and unable to sync." An android lab assistant reminded the MK700.

"We'll give him the entire thirty minutes. His data hasn't been active for a while. Give him time."

The two androids stood over a very tiny one. It wore a grey cotton sleeper with a blue glowing triangle over where a human's heart would sit. Its outward appearance was crafted to resemble the RK800's likeness, but much more youthful. The android laid on top of a strange metal plate, resembling that of a giant cell phone charger, and its head upon a small pillow. Wires emerged from a few areas on its exposed chest and torso, which were open to reveal the biocomponents inside where the sleeper had been unzipped.

"Will this be a good means to test the prototype? This data from the RK800 is much larger than a brand new unit's."

"This is only the first test. It may not be the best way, but considering our circumstances, it's the safest and fastest way. We can't waste this opportunity." The calm and collected woman pushed an office chair beside the prototype and sat down, taking hold of one of its tiny hands.

"Are they still sending threats?" Changing the subject, the assistant removed a few wires and reactivated the skin in those areas after covering the unused ports.

"What do you think?" Berty looked to the other.

"I researched Anderson. He is not in the best standing despite his recent involvement in the deviancy cases."

"Anderson is capable of great things, still. I believe this. I think this setup will benefit both parties. You don't know what you have until it's gone, and I feel giving Connor back to him in the prototype will give him enough drive to protect him."

"I'm still skeptical."

"You're not paid to be skeptical."

"Oh, I know. But I can't deny my worry and curiosity."

Berty smiled briefly. In the time they conversed, the data had finished merging with the prototype, and the android baby began to make small movements. The timer stopped, and the message 'Sync Successful' scrolled across the screen of a nearby monitor. "Connor. Are you awake?"

The first sound Connor made was a frustrated grunt as he experienced a full body twitch similar to human goosebumps. He sighed, eyes opening slowly and adjusting to the hints of light coming from the tech around the lab. He kicked out a leg and bent an arm at the elbow, tiny fingers making fists at the same time. The lab assistant sat down at a desktop computer and began typing furiously on the projection of a keyboard created with blue and green light before him.

"There you are. We were successful."

Connor's programming booted up, displaying the world before him in greyscale while a list of data cascaded down before his eyes for a few seconds. As the color returned to his vision, he was greeted by dim lights, vaulted ceilings, and a large face smiling subtly at him. He grunted again, squirming on the flat plate. He felt like a turtle stuck on its back.

"Status?" Berty asked the assistant, but still focused on the little android.

"Optimal. Locks are in place...is that really necessary?"

"Connor's an intelligent android. He'll figure them out. It's part of the test."

/Test?/ Connor attempted to connect to the scientist via wifi, only to be blocked. He ran a connection troubleshooting program, but all was fine.

Berty chuckled once behind her hand, then placed both hands at Connor's sides. "He's already on the case." She cooed, lifting him up in front of her. /That's something you'll have to figure out on your own, little man./ She and other androids could send messages to him, but his attempts to message them coherently would become encrypted and nearly indecipherable.

/Little man?/ Connor wanted to arch a brow, but his face simply scrunched up in light frustration. /That answers my questions on the size of this model. This is intentional./ He looked to the side, eyeing the other android. When he pinged him, the scientist looked over his shoulder, smiled gently, then returned to his work.

"Everything looks good. Time to deliver the baby."

Connor looked down at his tiny legs and feet before he was set against the MK700's shoulder. These two androids had put him in a model he'd never seen before and, as the entity within it, had a rather difficult time getting it to work how he wanted. Now he was being delivered somewhere. The distance between Berty and her assistant grew as Connor watched the darkened laboratory-slash-office disappear and the bright, white halls and dark floors of CyberLife greet them. 

He recognized the inside of the building instantly, giving him a mixed message of familiarity and unease. The floors filled with inactive androids were barren for the most part, and replaced with desks manned by active ones, there of their own accord. They walked on the outside of the room, where a team of four armed android soldiers awaited them. The six of them entered the elevator, and it slowly descended to the bottom floor. Connor watched the soldiers curiously, also trying to ping them but receiving nothing worthwhile. They stood motionless and maintained serious faces. /All androids can speak to other androids. Why can't I?/ Connor decided to try asking in person. "Excuse me!"

Berty hushed him. "It's okay, Connor. Please stay calm."

"I am calm. I just want to ask you a question-"

"Ssssshhh." She did it again, patting him on the back. Her expression seemed a little pained. However, she would not budge.

"Why does my voice sound like this? There has to be damage."

"Calm down Connor. We're almost there. I know it's a long ride." She continued to use a soft, soothing tone.

"Again, I am calm, but we have a major communication problem." Connor reached for one of the soldiers, hoping he could get the attention of one, but his little arm didn't have the reach he desired. He emitted a frustrated sound, something between a whine and an attempt at speech.

Rather than be annoyed, Berty was amused. She would have the first pieces of data for this project even before Connor's departure. Rather than wait for a new android's data to 'wake up', to become deviant, Connor was already a deviant. He was in the right mind set to test certain things sooner.

As they neared the first floor, once again Connor's attention was caught by the changes in environment. Fewer humans were present and more androids without armbands worked in the public area. But his view was short lived. A powder blue blanket was draped over top of him, and he couldn't see anything.

/I need you to be quiet, Connor. This is important./

/I would gladly agree to that if you would explain to me what is going on./ His last attempt to speak to her via wifi failed just like all the previous ones. The elevator reached the bottom, but the soldier standing closest to the control panel hit and held the close button.

"Connor." Berty spoke out loud the second time. "We really need you to be silent. Just until you're in the car."

It wasn't enough additional info for Connor to agree to it. He started to squirm harder and made more attempts to speak out. "I need more information, ma'am. I have so many questions."

"People are attempting to enter." One of the soldiers updated.

"They can use the other elevator." MK700 snipped, then returned to a sweeter tone. "I think a nap would do you well for now, Connor." She cooed.

Connor stared at her as she positioned him on his back in her arms. Now he was very concerned. Worry. It had to be worry. What in the world were they planning to do with him? New questions kept coming to his mind, and he had no means of getting an answer. "Androids don't need sleep. Whatever you're scheming, I won't let you get away with it."

"What a fussy boy. Now close your eyes and relax." The female android started shifting from heel to heel, rocking the prototype in her arms amongst the still-as-stone soldiers. Connor could hear the messages over the PA advising employees to use other means of transportation within the building, but nothing else. The blanket still prevented him from trying to scan his...kidnapper? He wondered if this was the equivalent to a human nightmare.

A soft musical tone played briefly, and his bright brown eyes widened before his eyelids began to close over them slowly. /No, not another shutdown.../ Connor felt drops of saline leave the corner of his eyes as his functions slowed to a near halt, soft whimpers of useless babble escaping his lips as his systems began to power down beyond his control. /Hank, where are you...? Help me.../

Berty glanced down at the blanket-covered bundle in her arms with a sympathetic frown as the soldier released the button and the doors slid open. "I apologize, but it was necessary." She said softly before they left the shaft. The scientist was escorted through the center of the reception area, looking around at the various employees and visitors of CyberLife without moving her head. There were hundreds on that floor, both humans and androids.

Any one of them could be there to ruin things.

The soldiers made her stick out like a sore thumb, but it was necessary.

As they exited, a car pulled right up, the timing like clockwork. Inside, a seat for the scientist and a child's car seat. Once they were both secure inside, the car disappeared, and the soldiers stood at the door to ID people, both in person and by scanning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank and Connor are finally reunited.

An hour had passed since Connor was forcefully lulled to sleep and driven off in a fancy black sports car. Berty had sat beside him, silently keeping tabs on him as he rested in the car seat, safely restrained in the harness and facing the back of the vehicle. The blanket used to hide him was now draped over his bottom half, his round face and messy brown hair the only part of him visible.

"You sent the user's manual to Mr. Anderson, correct?"

Connor parted his eyes only a hair, assaulted by the bright sunlight shining through the car windows before squeezing them shut again. A startup tone played, mimicking a chord played with windchimes, and his system began to boot up quietly. Berty was focused on her phone call, and hearing the word 'CyberLife' gave Connor cause for concern. He sat as still as he could; he was bad at controlling his body's movement, but not moving was definitely something he could do well.

/Hank's been mixed up in this too./ Connor may have been reduced to a tiny, helpless child, but his mind was very much intact, and trying to put two and two together. CyberLife's research and development team now had an android warden and the company itself was overtaken by his kind, Amanda was no longer in his programming, and he had a new body...a very useless one, in his opinion.

Connor felt an unusual pang of panic when the automated car pulled to a stop. He wanted to look out the window, but more importantly he wanted to keep up the facade that he was still asleep, so he shut his eyes. Berty had climbed out of the car and walked around the back of the vehicle to open the door on Connor's side.

"Still sound asleep." She stroked his hair, then considerately and carefully undid the car seat harness to free him. Connor couldn't help but move a little, but Berty reacted as if it was her fault, rubbing his back after pulling him out.

The little android made another attempt to sneakily take a peek at his surroundings, but more familiar and unwelcome figures had returned; their outfits and focused frowns were the same as the soldiers in the elevator, but they were less armored and carried strange cargo with them.

/The area is clear. Ready when you are, ma'am./

/Let's not waste any time./ Berty began to walk towards the apartment complex, approaching the glass doors that were marked with the Detroit City Police Department logo.

~~~

Hank frowned at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, running his hand over the back of his neck to feel the freshly shaved portion of the lower part of his head. His frizzy mop had been cut into a more stylish, shorter style, with his mustache and beard trimmed and cleaned up to match. He wore a grey polo over black dress pants, but still walked around the house in his old white gold toe socks. He looked good, but it just didn't feel right yet. He sniffed, his nostrils trying to get used to the smell of clean surfaces and fancy aftershave.

There had only been a little more than a full day to act from when he spoke to the android woman at CyberLife. He had the house cleaned up, and then himself. Even Sumo went to a fancy groomer, leaving Hank with a small heart attack of a bill. But it would all be worth it, he had to remind himself. He just had to play dad for a month or two. Dad to Connor, which got weirder and weirder everytime he thought too long about it.

He wondered how small Connor would be, if Connor could speak, if he would need to do any crazy maintenance on him... Did baby androids sleep? Eat? Did they shut off like the kid models? So many questions were on his mind.

Once he was done looking over himself, he entered his kitchen. Bags and bags of baby stuff sat on the table instead of old beer bottles and garbage. The whole house was cleaned by a bunch of android maids who'd started a home cleaning service after being inspired by a national company on tv.

Nothing felt truly comfortable at the moment. He flopped down on the couch and turned on the television, still feeling exhausted from the previous day. A candy bar commercial was followed by the news. A female human anchor and a male android anchor shared the table. He didn't care much for the story, featuring a family festival that would take place soon.

Sumo walked over and laid his head on Hank's lap, wanting to be petted. The smell of dog shampoo was strong. "Geez boy, if we ever endure that again, we're tryin' some other place. Too prissy for us, right?" Sumo responded with a short, soft whimper. "I know. I'm anxious too." Sumo pulled away, then walked into the hallway where the two bedrooms and a bathroom were located. Hank sat for a short time, then realized Sumo might be getting into something. "Sumo! Where are you?" He called, getting up to search for the dog.

He found the St. Bernard in the second bedroom. It was almost empty, except for a green rug on the floor and two pieces of furniture. One item was a dressing table, and the other a refurbished rocking chair. Sumo looked back at Hank and borfed softly once at the man.

"Good boy. Don't get into anything." The rocker looked inviting, so he sat down and leaned back, deciding to join Sumo for a quick siesta. So many times he sat in a rocking chair within Cole's nursery long ago. He and his ex would spend many nights in the boy's room, helping him be comfortable enough to sleep on his own. Like many times when he was enjoying his dreams, he was abuptly interrupted. Sumo barked, then trotted out to the living room. "Shit." Hank rubbed at his eyes, then stood up with arms stretched to the sides. His pace was a lot more relaxed than Sumo's; he took his time to get to the door, a little anxiety stirring within him.

He pulled the door open, five intimidating androids standing before him. The female android in the center of the group was holding a bundle wrapped in a blanket and smiled cooly at Hank. Her labcoat and long grey and black dress were styled to fit in with the generic CyberLife fashions included with each new android, but the soldiers were a bit more covered up, faces straight and barely visible. "Mr. Anderson." She nodded.

"You're that Berty android." Hank cleaned up well, but he was still himself. His eyes fell to the weight in her arms. Connor was wrapped up in a way that kept every part of his body hidden.

/Hank.../ Connor remained still, but hearing that familiar voice filled him with ease. He really wanted to speak up and call out to him, but he was still in the clutches of this stranger.

"You received the manual?" She asked, pushing her way inside and wasting no time. Her entourage followed with strange hardware.

"Manual?" Hank turned to them after shutting the door.

"I emailed it to you yesterday afternoon."

"I'll read it later." Hank followed the woman, the only thing standing between him and Connor, he assumed. She searched the house, and when she found the room readied for Connor, alerted the soldiers to meet her with their cargo.

/Move the chair over there./ She gave orders via wifi. /Assemble the charging station along this wall. The rest here. He may decide where they are most convenient./ She then turned to Hank. "Please read the manual."

"This shit is two hundred pages!"

"We simplified it from five hundred forty-six." They met glances. Hank was not amused. "...The quick start guide is on page 6. But you need to read the whole thing." The answer was acceptable, and Hank scrolled through the quick start guide quickly while a crib-like structure was assembled.

"Connor didn't come with a manual before." 

"Connor was able to communicate properly and was expected to begin work the moment we sent him to you."

"Fine. I'll read the manual." Hank threw his arms up lazily then let them drop to his sides. "Do you need help with all this shit?"

"This 'shit' is vital to keeping Connor happy, healthy, and running optimally." Berty retorted, adjusting her hold of Connor.

Health and running optimally, but Hank had his doubts about the happy part. "Design was never you androids' strength. Who uses black in a baby's room?"

"YB100 is still a prototype. When we know it's ready for production, we'll take steps to create a more aesthetically pleasing design."

"I thought you all had feelings now." Hank went to the changing table and pulled out a sea green blanket patterned with tiny white stars, then tossed it inside the charging unit, which was supposed to be Connor's bed. It still looked like a giant stereo, but at least Connor would see something more pleasant when he woke up.

"So long as these additions don't interfere with the charging plate, you may do as you wish."

Hank definitely was the right man for this job. He thought himself a pretty darn good father figure at the moment. Eyeing the bundle, he noticed slight movement beneath the blue blanket.

Connor wanted to see what was going on, and he was finding it difficult to stay quiet, especially since Hank was there. He wanted to see his partner more than anything at the time.

"He awake yet?" Hank asked.

"I don't think so. In fact, we should allow Connor to rest in his new bed to ensure a full charge. The process is much slower without the plate." Berty pulled Connor from her shoulder after tugging the blanket away, laying the little boy in bed upon the blanket Hank had spread out. The detective walked up to the hi-tech crib, getting a look at Connor's new form for the first time. He looked nothing like Cole, but similar feelings of warmth began to return to him. If Connor were a human, he'd have been this way, not a know-it-all emotionless adult.

Hank watched the scientist strut out of the room to check on her employees, then returned his focus on Connor. He couldn't believe his partner was inside this child, apparently sleeping the day away. As Hank rested his hand on Connor's back to gently pat him, the boy opened his eyes and stared back. "Shit." Hank cursed under his breath, but immediately slipped into 'dad mode' when he watched Connor's eyes water.

Connor couldn't explain his own reaction. It just felt natural to tear up upon seeing Hank again. He was experiencing overwhelming levels of happiness, and it brought him relief. "Hank! Hank, it's me!"

"Heeey, come here, you." Connor found himself hoisted out of the bed and in Hank's strong and careful hold. Even Hank's tone changed when he spoke to the little boy, which Connor found interesting since the lieutenant didn't babytalk to Sumo at all. He buried his face against Hank's polo, trying to stop the flow of saline tears from his eyes as Hank gently clapped his back a few times before rubbing it.

Adult androids were heavy, but Hank had no trouble holding Connor. He stood alone in the room with his new charge. Connor found security in his arms and the simple sweet nothings Hank was repeating to him. It would be okay. He was going to be fine. He was a trooper. And he was so very brave. Even if he didn't particularly agree with all of it.

Connor looked up when the CyberLife android returned to the room, and he unconsciously fisted Hank's shirt, not wanting to be taken away again. "Leave me alone! I'm staying with Hank!" Connor fussed, then hid his face again. "I'm not going back there."

"What did you do to him that made him hate you so much?" Hank smirked, patting Connor's back reassuringly.

"I am uncertain, but his compatibility with you is much more important. We shall take our leave, but I implore you-"

"Read the manual. I got it." Hank finished. "I ain't gonna break him."

"Likely not. But reading it will be to your benefit." The strangers were finally out of the house, and Hank could let down his guard a bit. Connor was still on edge.

"Calm down Connor, you're gonna be alright. You still sleepy? Wanna go back to bed?" Hank pulled out his phone with his free hand to check out the guide again, mumbling the words on the screen. "Hold in LED for three seconds to check charge level." Easy enough, Hank shifted Connor onto his other arm, then pressed the little LED ring on the side of Connor's head. The glow of blue faded briefly, and the color green displayed, filling only a quarter of the circumference of the ring with black showing the deficit. Connor was nowhere close to a full charge even though he apparently had been asleep on the way, according to Berty.

"I'm fed up with sleeping, lieutenant. There are so many questions I have. I need answers." Connor's charged babble only worked against him.

"Yeah, that sounds like a sleepy little boy to me, kid." Hank set his phone on the dressing table open to the guide, unaware that his rocking was setting up the YB100 for sleep mode. "Says here you need to recharge the batteries a few times a day with a full charge overnight."

It was unusual for Connor to fight logic, but here he was, putting up an argument to the best of his ability. "Please, Hank. I need to stay awake!" He squirmed, but was no match for the detective.

"Oh, haha. Gotta rock you to sleep. Cute." He smirked. "Here we go." Connor found himself on his back again, a position he didn't like.

"Lieutenant, I'm not tired. There are more pressing things that need to be taken care of."

Nobody understood Connor, including Hank. The little android couldn't accept it and didn't want to, but that was how it was going to be for the time being. To Hank, Connor was just irritible due to his needs; -he- was the pressing thing that needed taken care of now. "Ain't nothing happening right now, kid. Perfect time to sleep."

Connor pressed his lips together, looking away from Hank briefly until the detective dabbed his face with the edge of the blanket Berty left behind. Looking up, Hank gave him another comforting smile. Was it his current state that triggered these expressions? Hank really never smiled this much.

The rocking continued, and Connor realized he'd started to enter a low power mode once the sleep mode sound effect played, his limbs and eyelids feeling heavier every minute. Apparently any calm, lulling motion triggered his sleep mode if he needed power. To CyberLife, it was a feature. To Connor, it was a problem.

Connor's new room had one of the only windows in the apartment, and Hank went to stand beside it, glancing outside. It wasn't the best view; he could see the clinic and the grocery store, and the cars moving up and down the street. But for Connor, it was his first time seeing the trees and grass with a vibrant green color, and people wearing t-shirts and shorts as opposed to heavy coats, boots and hats outdoors. A few human children were running with ice pops melting in their hands, and a runner was walking her dog. Maybe Hank would take him out there sometime.

With Connor relaxed and distracted, Hank maintained his rhythm, and in minutes, the little android was sound asleep again. Afraid he might reawaken the kid, he slowly walked to the charging base and laid Connor on top of the starry blanket upon his back. He powered on the base, then leaned on the edge of the gate with his arms crossed to watch him sleep, but only for a short time. 

He had a LOT of reading to do before Connor's power had replenished.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor finds an alternate way to profile objects, but Hank sees it as something completely different.

Connor was grateful that he hadn't ended up in another strange place or in the CyberLife lab again when he woke up, finding himself curled on his side with the blue blanket draped over him. He could hear the tv playing in the living room, and the faucet running in the bathroom after a toilet flush. The lights were off, but a bit of light from under the door seeped in. The ability to have night vision in the dark was either a feature he needed to unlock, or one that wasn't included with the model he currently resided in.

He quickly scanned the room, still getting encrypted text instead of readable entries on even the simplest of objects, like the stuffed bear on the dressing table parallel with his crib. He knew what most of them were, but he knew it would hinder him when he really needed it.

/Software information./ Connor requested silently. /...YB100-00 Custom, 2039. 99% power charge. Systems optimal./ Its last update was the current day, and two thirds of his memory was free. Obviously, it was a product of CyberLife. Rolling onto his back, Connor ran more searches, taking advantage of being on the charging plate. So long as he laid there, he could perform high power actions and be able to replenish the energy used faster. /I need to work quickly before Hank realizes I'm awake./ He was Hank's friend, no doubt. But unsupervised time would be a rarity now.

His memory was fully accessible, but certain tasks and procedures were locked. It was almost set up as if it were a game of sorts. He had to fulfill unknown requirements in order to unlock the abilities he took for granted. Walking was a big one. All Connor could do was roll across the crib very slowly, wedging himself between the edge of the bed and the barred gates on both sides. He'd wrapped himself up like a poorly rolled burrito and twisted the star blanket beneath him. His hair stuck up in random places, and he'd somehow managed to get a little white sock off of his foot.

"Uh, Hank? Lieutenant? Need a little help." Connor yelled. "I'm up now." There was no response. Connor rolled over again, landing on his stomach and planting his face against the bottom blanket. "Hank?" He yelled again. Only the tv played. Hank likely had the volume up too high. Connor tried once more, but rolled at an angle. "Here...goes...OW!" Connor made contact with the other gate again, but this time hit a plastic grey box attached to one of the bars. Connor's previous forms didn't feel pain, so when he experienced it for the first time, it was extremely unpleasant.

"What the hell was that?" Hank's voice spoke up over the little box. It was a baby monitor.

"H-Hank?" Connor's voice broke despite his attempts to keep himself together. That was all his partner needed to get the message, soft sobbing transmitting to the other box in the living room.

"Shit! Connor! I'm coming, kid."

The pain was short-lived and ended before Hank reached the bedroom, but Connor's tears activated at the drop of a hat it seemed. The door opened and light instantly flooded the room, Connor caught with tears falling as Hank hovered over the crib.

"Jesus fuck," Hank cursed softly. "You're a mess, Connor." Connor felt instant comfort when Hank started to free him from the sheets. "Calm down now. You're going to be fine." Hank held Connor up in front of him by his underarms for a few moments before hugging him back against his chest. Hank would have to make the bed proper before Connor went to sleep for the night.

"I'm f-fine, it was a minor injury is all." Connor tried to play it down, but to Hank he still didn't seem over it. Connor tried to rub his nose, getting saline-based snot and tears all over himself. "Truly, I'm just fine now, Lieutenant. The software is very-"

"Ugh, kid. Let's clean you up." He was planning to wash Connor the next day, but he knew baths were relaxing to children, so maybe it would be similar for android children too. He'd read most of the manual, skimmed all of it, and Connor was fine to have in the water. He felt his partner needed something to de-stress after all that had happened that day.

Connor found himself on the dressing table, and Hank wasted no time in starting to pull the pajamas off of his little frame. "Lieutenant, I'm pretty sure I'm able to sanitize myself. I think..." Hank was happy to have Connor out of the CyberLife outfit. Honestly the design agitated him and reminded him of the investigation, and after having to deal with all of the shit that went down, he never wanted to see the look again on Connor if he could help it. But CyberLife was still attached to their trademark colors and look.

"I don't remember you being such a sourpuss, Connor." Hank commented, scooping up the tiny detective. "Let's get you in the tub."

~~~

Surrounded by bubbles, warm water, and an assortment of bath toys, Connor sat in the bathtub and watched Hank round up towels and soap. Sumo had tried to take a drink from the tub, but the detective shooed him away. "Geez Sumo. That's clean water for Connor. Go drink from your own bowl." Connor remained still and watched the bubbles slowly drift across the water until Hank sat down on a footstool beside the tub with a washcloth. "...You've just been sitting there this whole time?" Hank canted his head to the side as Connor glanced back.

"Yes." Even single syllable words didn't come out right.

Hank pushed a small boat in front of Connor, along with a little crab-shaped water squirter and a rubber duck. Connor glanced down at them with confusion. "Go on, kid. Play for a bit." Hank squeezed the rubber duck, making it squeak for Connor. "Aw, Connor. You're...I dunno how old you are. But for fucksakes, have a little fun."

Connor reached for the little toy boat; it was the biggest toy and the easiest for him to hold. He gave it a push, then watched it cross the water and disappear under a large group of bubbles.

Hank couldn't believe it. Earlier Connor seemed very childlike, crying and fussing from a lack of sleep. Now the kid had an array of toys to play with, and wasn't playing. Cole would put up a fight for five more minutes of playtime before Hank washed him up. "What do I gotta do, teach you how to have fun?" Hank squeezed the rubber duck again. "Here, you try."

"I was not initially created to 'have fun', lieutenant." Connor clumsily took the duck from Hank's hand and did what he habitually did: scan it, get frustrated with the encryption, and frown. Turning it slightly, he wondered if maybe a different sort of scan would provide results. "Wait-"

"There's a little crab here too-" Hank paused, watching Connor shove the rubber duck into his mouth.

"Mmm! Lieutenant!" Connor's eyes lit up with joy. He did it. The object information came up clearly the moment it hit his tongue: Rubber Duck, vinyl plastic children's toy, non-toxic, patented by Peter Ganine in the 1940's.

After the initial shock of the baby's actions, Hank enjoyed a hearty laugh, but not because Connor had discovered a means of profiling objects. "Does that taste good, Connor?"

"Lieutenant, I can profile this!" Connor held up the rubber duck, only to drop it back into the bath water. He grabbed the crab water squirter...and it immediately went into his mouth like the duck.

"You're a riot. Glad I didn't get you anything with small parts." Every toy got shoved into Connor's mouth. He couldn't describe the feeling of being able to do something again that he once took for granted. Connor even repeated it with the items he'd already profiled, just to make sure it wasn't some strange error. When Connor reached for the washcloth, however, Hank tugged it away and started to lather it up. "Alright kid, let's get you cleaned up. There'll be plenty more baths in the future, I think."

Connor paused with a drool-covered toy orca in his hand, watching Hank run the wet cloth over his arm and then his face, closing his eyes and wincing slightly as he moved on to the other arm. The older man was very careful and methodical; there were things from Cole's early years that he just never forgot, like putting a towel over Connor's eyes to wash his hair. Connor was wrapped up in a big fluffy yellow towel, feeling chilled but only for a few moments. He gasped when he dropped the orca into the draining tub, looking to Hank.

"You can play with it again during your next bath, kid."

Connor wailed, weakly reaching towards the bathroom as Hank carried him off again. He couldn't explain it, but he suddenly had a desperate need to profile everything that he could. He was a little surprised that Hank wasn't bothered by it at the moment; he actually found it entertaining for some reason. In the short time that it took to get from the bathroom to his bedroom, Connor had figured out there was cotton and polyester in Hank's shirt as well as embroidery thread for the small designer emblem on the side, leaving little drool marks where his lips touched down. His towel was made of terry cloth and had absorbed only a fraction of the liquid that it could hold. 

When Hank put him back on the dressing table and pulled the towel from his face, he found Connor sucking on his fingertips. Connor was hoping maybe he could learn something extra about his new body, but all Hank was seeing were the expected habits and actions of a baby. "You sure you're in there, Connor?" Hank grinned.

"Of course, Hank. I know who I am. My body is different, but I am still myself." Connor tried to say with a mouthful of his fingers. Hank dressed him as well as he could from the bottom up, but gave Connor a few seconds of distress when he had to part the boy's sticky fingers from his lips to help him into the sleeve of a new sleeper, covered in a juvenile police-themed print. "My scan was interrupted!" 

"Okay, okay, okay," Hank tried to hush him. "You got your fingers back. You planning on eating them?" The detective teased.

"I'm just testing something." Connor went back to licking his fingers contently.

"Geez. Here I was worried I had a little adult stuck in a baby's body. At least you look the part a little more now." Hank stretched, then Connor was moving again, this time to the living room. "Let's go see how the Gears are doing."

"I assume we're going to watch the game now?" Connor recalled. If his wifi was working, he could easily check the score, but for the time being, Hank would have to get that information himself.

"That's right Connor, the Gears are the best." Hank smirked.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor gets a bottle that he doesn't want. Hank gets an assignment that he really doesn't want.

Hank and Connor survived their first day of playing house with little trouble. The Gears had won the game and would win the season if they repeated their performance later that day, so Hank had on his Detroit Gears t-shirt and a content smile when he went to check on Connor that morning.

Connor knew how basketball was played as well as the teams involved and some players of note, but it didn't interest him all too much. He only liked watching it because it made his partner happy, and had fallen asleep the night before in Hank's arms well before the game was over. Now he was in the CyberLife crib, snuggled up in his sheets and an extra blanket nearing a full charge. Tugging the edge of the blanket away from Connor's face, the boy had his thumb stuck in his mouth as well.

"Ugh, he won't care." Hank pulled out his cell phone and quietly snapped a photo of Connor, then left the room for his own. The androids had left strange structures all over his apartment. He never cared about interior design, but each item was an eyesore, even in a plain apartment like his own. He was an old-fashioned guy; he liked printed books and magazines, not digital guidebooks and PDFs.

The chest in Hank's room was small, and looked like a drink cooler. It was a pain to push around, as it was heavy and also contained fragile items. He would have to open it to retrieve something for Connor that morning.

"Let's see what horrors we've got in here." Hank muttered, entering a three-digit key code and pulling the door open. The inside of the chest was temperature controlled. There was a bit of everything - replacement parts, bags of thirium... But he wasted no time browsing after snatching up one of the canisters of liquid that took up most of the space.

"CyberLife PureStart." They'd already had a fucking patent on android baby formula for this model. He wasn't even totally sure what it was supposed to do for Connor, but they advised that the baby have eight ounces of it each day. He sealed the chest back up, then began to head for the kitchen.

In the meantime, Connor awoke much more peacefully and less tangled up than the last time, properly tucked into his bed the night before. Hank had even put the teddy bear in with him. He held his head and rolled onto his stomach, his systems booting up as usual. However, something new happened as he eyed the bootup messages. Of the three locked system areas, one lock in the first set was gone. /I'm not sure what I did, but it's gone now./

With the apartment quieter, it was easier for Hank to pick up more subtle sounds over the monitor. As he finished shaking a baby bottle full of PureStart, Connor's restless shifting caught his attention. He picked up the handset and held down the red button, allowing himself to talk to Connor. "You up, kid? I got your breakfast ready."

Breakfast? "Androids don't eat breakfast, lieutenant." Connor babbled back.

"Oh yeah?" Hank would be endlessly amused at Connor's attempts to speak.

"Also, you'll be pleased to know that-"

"You are too damn cute. I'm on my way, little guy."

Connor was caught off guard by that remark, a bit of color in his face unbeknownst to him. Hank stepped into the doorway with something new in his hand, which he set on the dressing table in order to tend to Connor. "Morning, kid." Hank reached in and gently ruffled Connor's hair. Connor smiled softly, trying to hold Hank's wrists. Hank bent over further and touched foreheads with the little android, while Connor let out a coo and touched Hank's face, discovering the texture of his beard entertaining.

"Morning, Hank."

Hank pulled away and slid his hands under Connor's head and back. "It ain't coffee, but I got something to wet your throat." Accurately, it would be refilling internal liquids and provide some cooling, but either way it was meant to be beneficial.

"Androids have never needed to eat or drink. Don't you remember?" Connor tried to ask, being pulled out of bed. Hank's embrace distracted him, though. By touch alone, he could tell that his partner loved to hold him. He wondered if the fuzzy feelings he was experiencing were credited to that. Hank was his friend, he knew that much. A new level of closeness was developing, Connor oblivious to it for the time being.

Hank grabbed the bottle and planted himself in the rocking chair, holding Connor in a means to allow him to drink comfortably. "Alright kid, look what I've got for you." Connor had been eagerly putting objects into his mouth, so Hank hoped he'd be excited to try out the bottle.

"A bottle? I shouldn't need to drink, lieutenant." Connor stared at the clear rubber nipple pointed at his lips. When Hank moved in closer with it, he found himself turning away.

"Ugh." Hank pulled it away. "Come on, kid. This is important." He offered it again, this time doing his best to simulate a fighter jet. Cole ate better when they played airplane with his spoon, so maybe Connor would find it entertaining? "Uh oh Connor, here comes the airplane. It needs to get in the hangar..."

"I'm certain the nearest hangar is dozens of miles away, and that is not an airplane, nor does it look like one." Connor turned his head again.

"You're a stubborn one." Hank gruffed, but was suddenly hit with an idea. "I guess I'll just have to test this really nice bottle of evidence at the station since my partner is too fussy to help me analyze it."

"...No, wait! If that's what this is about, I'm happy to help!" Connor opened his mouth and even reached out for the container. Hank was more than happy to offer it again.

"Oh, why thank you Connor. I thought maybe you didn't want this." Hank chuckled. Mission accomplished, Connor eagerly drank, starting slow, but increasing his pace over time. "Make sure you drink the entire sample now, can't leave anything out."

"No dangerous substances, but this mixture is something I've never encountered before." The boy made content sounds while slurping up the last of the formula. Connor had been successfully tricked for the time being, but he didn't seem to mind it when treating it like work.

"Good job, Connor. Knew I could count on you."

Connor let go of the bottle and grinned slightly, hugged tightly against Hank. "Of course, lieutenant! I will do my best with what I've got!"

Their post-meal peace did not last long, as Hank's cell phone ringtone began to play. "Anderson speaking." He answered, Connor watching curiously. "...Shit, I asked for the week off, Fowler."

"It's a staycation, right? We could really use your expertise on this one. I'll give you an extra day if you give me a couple hours today."

"What's going on, lieutenant?" Connor tried to ask.

"...what was that?" Jeffrey asked, hearing Connor's babble.

"Look...I'm...I'm babysitting for a while."

"Babysitting? Are you shitting me?"

"No, or else you wouldn't hear the baby in the background." Hank sighed.

"...Bring'em downstairs. We can watch the kid for a couple hours. If the entire Detroit City force can't keep tabs on a kid, we're hopeless."

"Ugh..." Hank looked down at his charge thoughtfully, and Connor instantly picked up on the older man's sadness. Hank had wanted at least a few days on his own with Connor before seeking out a sitter for work. This was a vacation for him too. Having Connor back was a boon to his health. He'd been so distracted with Connor that he'd gone a day without a beer. "You get two hours. Three if I'm feeling generous and Connor's not cranky."

"His name is Connor? That's a funny coincidence."

Oops. "Y-yeah. Be down there soon. Kid's not ready to go." He wasn't ready to go either. Hank hung up and sighed, Connor still showing concern. What had he gotten himself into now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for a short chapter, but the next one should be more entertaining!
> 
> Again, if there's something cute you want to see baby Connor do or experience, please let me know and I'll do my best to work it in if it fits. Thank you for all your wonderful comments and kudos so far!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The entire Detroit City police force can't keep tabs on a kid.

Connor looked around at the brand new station with wonder after Hank stepped out of the elevator with him. Most of the underground area was still under construction, but what was complete was just as impressive as the first station downtown. There were fewer humans around, as seemed to be the case with most places in Detroit, and there was a bit more chaos than usual.

Hank had already grown accustomed to the mess. He had to shed his Gears memorabilia for a stuffy suit and tie, and that already brought his mood down a few notches. (He was really hoping for a win that night, especially after all of this.) He had a diaper bag slung over his shoulder: one of those 'tactical equipment' themed ones, done in camo material. Connor rested in a baby backpack against Hank's chest and stomach, feeling true joy to be where he was.

"This is amazing, lieutenant. It's going to become a great second location." Connor gurgled, trying to point at things. At least his arm was moving the way he wanted it to. "I can't wait to get started again." Hank had dressed Connor in a striped onesie and little overalls with a set of tiny dark grey tennis shoes tied with white laces. He'd also set the boy's LED to be hidden, a feature the YK500's already had implemented. He didn't need certain people giving Connor grief when he wouldn't be around to stop it. Some of the humans who stayed behind still weren't the happiest when it came to interacting neutrally with androids.

"Glad you're okay with this, at least." Hank commented, curling a quick smile at the baby's excitement. "It's a big place, isn't it Connor? When you get your new body, maybe you'll be working here too." At least, he hoped. Hank wasn't sure if the police department would take him back. It was true the androids now had equal rights at the station, but it was up to those above him ultimately since Connor was a special case.

"Oh. My. God." Hank stopped in his tracks and turned to one of the female officers, who had run up to him the moment she saw Connor. "Who is this little sweetheart?"

Hank never liked the over-excited types, even when Cole was still alive. Mostly because he knew Cole didn't either. He went on the defense, making sure to keep Connor away from cheek pinching and other annoying actions that might sour his mood.

"Good morning, Marianne!" Yet Connor had no fear at all. Instead, he had his memories of all of his coworkers on the force, which put him at ease for the beginning of the trip. "Nice day today, isn't it?"

"Oh my goodness, you are adorable! Are you gonna help daddy with his work?"

"I'm just babysitting." Hank tried to correct, though he felt a blush warming his face when the cop referred to him as Connor's 'daddy'. He'd called Connor son accidentally in the past...

"I know, I know. But something about him reminds me of old Connor. Your old partner, the android? And I always thought you fit well together even though you're both so very different. Like a father-son detective thing going on."

"Uh-huh..."

"It's still me, I'm just in a different model."

"We gotta report in, see you around, Officer Pierce." Hank was quick to escape her clutches, heading towards Fowler's new office. It seemed even bigger than the last one, and it was connected to the hallway leading to the brand new evidence room. Jeffrey was seated at his desk, and while the captain normally wore a stern, intimidating expression on his face, the sight of Connor managed to reveal his softer side.

"So this is little Connor." He chuckled. 

"Gotta bring kids and dogs with to brighten your mood nowadays?" Hank joked.

"It's always been that way. And you never bring Sumo in anymore, even though you live where you work."

"You wanna clean up slobber and dog hair, then I'll bring him back."

"I've never seen the captain smile before, Hank. Is he feeling himself?" Hank didn't answer him, but pulled Connor out of the carrier and laid the boy over his shoulder, patting his back reassuringly.

Fowler took on his serious persona again. "Alright, here's the case file I need you to check out. There was a break-in at CyberLife Technologies last night."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me." Hank narrowed his eyes at the manilla folder, opening it up on the edge of Fowler's desk.

"Hey, don't be swearing 'round the kid now." Fowler said softly.

"Don't give me that, he'll probably hear at least a dozen f-bombs here by the time I get back." Hank grumbled, skimming the information.

"Hank, what is it? I want to see." Connor tried to squirm, but Hank's hold was strong. The detective continued to pat his back.

"Calm down Connor. Gonna be here a while."

"Doesn't make much sense, does it?" Fowler matched glances with his colleague.

"Of course it does, it was a break-in. CyberLife's loaded. They probably did some serious damage."

"Nope. Not a thing was taken. Not broken or cut glass." Fowler corrected.

"This has fucking android written all over it. Who breaks into a place and doesn't steal anything? So what more needs to be investigated? You called me in for this?"

"CyberLife specifically asked if you would come out and see what happened. Some frantic female MK700 unit insisted."

"Berty..." Hank mouthed inaudibly. "Fine. Who's watching the kid?" Hank looked through the window at everyone outside.

"I'll take'im for now." Fowler and Hank both stood up from their chairs. Hank turned Connor in his arms and gave him a gentle hug.

"Connor, I gotta go somewhere for a little bit. You're gonna stay with...Uncle Jeffrey, okay? You be a good little detective for him, okay?"

"As always, lieutenant! But why aren't I coming with you?" Connor tried to ask as he was handed off. Hank reluctantly did so, feeling a drop in his stomach despite giving Connor to someone he knew for a very long time and ultimately trusted. The baby was stirring up a lot of happy memories, but also emotional baggage.

"...It's okay, Connor. Please be a good boy, okay?" Hank left the diaper bag on his chair. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"He's gonna be fine, Hank." Jeffrey reminded him as Hank hesitantly turned away to go. Fortunately Connor didn't know what was going on in Hank's head for the time being.

"I know that this body is a major hinderance, but you just tell me what you need me to do, and I'll be on it, captain."

"Haha, you're a talker. Bet you'll be saying words pretty soon."

"That's the goal!" Connor smiled slightly.

"Let's see what Hank brought along for you." Fowler looked through the diaper bag, finding it oddly packed for a baby. There were expected things like toys, a grey blanket that, unknown to everyone but Hank, was a portable charging device; a change of clothes and a couple disposable diapers with a box of wet wipes. Honestly, it was what it lacked that worried the man. "...He didn't pack you any snacks?"

"Snacks? Oh no, I don't need food, sir." Connor peered inside along with him.

"Not even a bottle." He searched the entire bag, but there were no foodstuffs. "Hank must be a little rusty on babysitting. Let's go find you a snack, little guy. Tide you over until Hank takes you home."

Fowler and Connor left the office, and almost instantly Connor was the center of attention again. Several officers approached and surrounded the two to say hello, unaware their former android coworker was inside the tiny frame the captain was carrying around. One officer offered him a little plush K-9 unit toy from his desk, and others just wanted to hold him for a few moments while telling him that he reminded them of their older children when they were babies, or just to say that he was the sweetest little boy ever.

As Connor was showered with attention, Fowler was called over the PA system to pick up a call in his office. "Shoot..." He glanced around the immediate area after Connor was handed back to him. Standing by the coffee machine was the one person that Hank absolutely hated, and would never willingly hand Connor over to unless it was a life or death emergency...and even then he would hesitate.

"Gavin!" Jeffrey yelled. "You got time to lean, you got time to help me out."

"What?"

"Can you watch this little guy for me? I gotta take a call." Fowler handed Connor over to Gavin urgently, then set a pile of change on top of the table. "Buy him some animal crackers and a bottle of juice while you're at it."

"Ugh." Gavin sighed, giving Connor a look as the overweight man struggled to get to his office phone quickly. He didn't recognize Connor at all, which was a small boon to the android, but Connor still felt extremely uncomfortable around Detective Reed. Having become deviant, he now realized the man had been a huge bully to him, and he felt strange being in such close quarters with him. Combine that with his new body's programming, and Gavin was a scary monster in a sense, acting nice but likely still a complete asshole, as Hank would put it. "I don't get paid enough for this shit. Oh well." Gavin bent over and sat Connor on the floor.

The baby whimpered softly, watching Gavin turn towards the vending machines with the money the captain had left. There were a lot of snacks in the machine, and it took Gavin a moment to locate the animal crackers. "...E7. Found'em." He punched in the buttons, and metal spiral inside the machine turned...only for the bag of cookies to get stuck. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Reed hissed under his voice.

Little did Detective Reed know that as he was punching the glass window of the snack machine to loosen the cookies, Connor wasn't sticking around, especially not while his temper was firing up. Hank hadn't really let Connor explore much at home yet, so he was unaware that his little partner was pretty good at crawling. Connor wasn't very fast, but by the time Gavin got the cookies out of the machine by adding more change for a second bag, the android had disappeared from his sight.

Gavin had less trouble with the apple juice, and turned triumphantly to where he'd sat Connor. "Okay kid, got your sna-" Gavin felt his stomach sink, dropping one of the two bags of cookies on the floor in surprise. The baby was gone. "Shit, where's the kid?" Gavin's gaze quickly scoured the nearby area. He peered under the table and then around and beneath the coffee and snack machines, eyes full of intensity and worry. The captain was going to kill him if he couldn't find the baby.

But Connor wasn't too far to start. In fact, Connor was at home, in a sense. He'd unknowingly crawled beneath Hank's new desk, hugging the metal pole beneath the swivel chair. /...I'm scared./ Connor admitted to himself, running the back of his hand over his wet eyes. /I'm really scared of him. Why am I scared of him?/

As Gavin spread the word that Connor was gone, there were more quick footsteps shuffling about. There were about five officers looking for him, along with Gavin and Fowler, who was chewing out the detective for losing track of the boy so easily.

As the officers began to look on the opposite side of the office area, Connor took advantage of the situation and crawled towards Fowler's office after spotting the open door. From there, he tried to remember where Hank had gone, but his travels took him out the other door and into the hallway towards the evidence room. For a boy of his size, it was a long hallway, lined with cameras and a dark grey tile pattern on the floor and the walls. Sound was minimal, and he could only hear the hum of the air through the ventilation.

/Maybe they won't see me./ Connor hoped, starting to feel tired. He'd been crawling so much that he was using up his battery charge a lot faster than normal. /Uhn.../ He hadn't even made it halfway, and his weariness was starting to show. He let go of the tiny K-9 plush, finding it easier to advance with two hands on the ground. Maybe he'd make it.

A tear drop fell from his face onto the floor, and he stopped, flattening against the ground and whimpering. /Hank.../

_"Hang on, son, hang on! We'll get you help, hang on..."_

_"Are you gonna help daddy with his work?"_

/...Daddy...?/ Connor put his face on top of his crossed arms and sobbed. The sleep mode tone played in his head. /Where are you, Hank? I can't...Daddy.../

"Oh my god, oh my god, there you are." The door had burst open, and Fowler, Officer Pierce, and a few other employees cooed with sympathy as the captain pulled Connor from the floor. "Holy shit, it's okay little guy. We've got you."

"Thank goodness security spotted you on the cameras. How on earth did you get all the way here?" Marianne asked. "...Oh, and you dropped your puppy too. We'll dust him off and you can have him back in a little bit."

"We've got some nice cold apple juice waiting for you." Connor was too ashamed to show his face, closing his eyes tightly as Fowler tried to console him. He wanted one person, and one person only. Only one person would make him feel safe.

"Daddy!" Connor wailed, but this time...

This time what came out of his mouth was an actual word.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bad day leads to a bad dream, and Hank backpedals a little bit.

Hank's selection of bars left open in the city had gone down from five to two, and only one of them was open that night when Hank decided he needed a stiff drink. He was one of three patrons inside, along with the owner as well as the bartender. Hank was resisting the urge to order a burger, the smell of ground beef and onions sizzling on the grill in the kitchen wafting throughout the bar. He had one drink in front of him, nearly empty. He could have gulped it down without thought if he wanted to, but he was nursing it like a first timer who wasn't used to the burn.

"I'm a mess." Hank said to the bartender as the Gears championship game played on a flat screen tv in the corner of the bar.

"You've been a mess for as long as I've known you, Hank. Cutting your hair ain't gonna change shit."

"I know that much." The lieutenant muttered, pulling out his phone. He paused at his lock screen, a small smile spreading across his face as he viewed the picture of Connor he'd taken that morning. The picture was covered up by an incoming text, spooking him out of a bit of a daze. He could tell by the number that it was an android, but it was one of the few he tolerated.

"Is it a woman? Trying to impress someone special with a clean slate?"

"Nah..." Hank responded, starting to reply to the text.

"Must be an important text. You never really cared for texting."

"I still don't." He replied as he typed on the phone's tiny keypad.

"...It's slow."

"Hmm?" Hank looked up. The crowd in the stands on tv started to cheer wildly at the buzzer.

"Change. But if anybody can do it, it's probably you. You don't take shit."

Hank grunted with amusement, finishing his text. He yelled excitedly, then downed the rest of his drink. "Fuck yeah! Go Gears! That's what I'm talking about!"

\---

North stood in front of Markus in the middle of Lieutenant Anderson's living room, pausing briefly as she received Hank's message from the bar. "He's on his way home now."

Markus nodded, sitting on the couch with Connor, who had been bundled up in the special blanket from CyberLife. "In a taxi, I hope." The little android had not been well since his excursion to the station, half awake and feeling ashamed of himself despite Markus' gentle gestures.

"He said he only had one drink."

"We'll be the judge of that."

Hank had come for Connor in the end, and the lieutenant felt just as awful as the baby for what had happened, even though it wasn't his or Connor's fault. He'd hesitated contacting Markus, but it was for the best as he and the heads of Jericho were the most trustworthy androids he could think of, and he needed to seriously de-stress. It wasn't the best means of doing so, but withdrawl was a difficult journey with some backtracking involved.

North knelt down in front of Markus to look at Connor, reaching out to stroke his soft, brown hair. "Hank's coming home now, Connor." She smiled. "We'll have a movie party. I hear they're a lot of fun."

Connor watched her for a few seconds, then down at Markus' hand, which was gently rubbing his arm every few moments. /I apologize North, I.../ He sighed softly.

"I'll find a movie for us to watch." North went straight for the children's instant access channel, looking for something appropriate. Connor sighed, pressing his face against Markus's shirt.

The android leader shook his head in amusement. Connor hadn't been around as long as he and North, so whether or not Connor was an adult or a kid, Markus saw him as the youngest of their allies physically, and also emotionally due to his late deviancy. His time in the cloud only furthered that gap.

He stood up slowly with the boy, readjusting his hold. "Why don't we get your pants changed and put you in your PJ's? I bet you'll be a lot more comfortable." Connor's embarrassment spiked at the mention, but he went along with it as Markus carried him to his room. Even though he shined bright among his people with his impressive leadership abilities, Markus was still a great caretaker of both young and old.

Hank arrived ten minutes later, holding his hand up briefly to wave at North as he closed the door behind him.

"Markus is getting Connor dressed for bed in the back."

"Thanks." He sighed, letting his coat fall from his shoulders to hang up after kicking his shoes off. He let himself pool on the couch lazily, finding amusement in the movie North had picked out for Connor. "Gears won the championship."

"102 to 85." Markus smiled, Connor in tow.

Hank couldn't hold back his smile. He felt bad for leaving Connor with Markus and North for the evening, but after the incident at the station, he was feeling a lot of guilt. "Hey Connor, you gonna stay up and watch a movie with us?"

"You know Connor, I think Hank would be really pleased if you said that word you learned today." Markus suggested, turning the boy around to see Hank.

Connor glanced up at Hank, a little anxiety still stirring within him. /I shouldn't.../ But he also wanted to see him badly, so he reached for the older man. That alone made Hank happy.

"Shit, I missed you, kid." Hank said softly. "So you learned a word, did you?" All eyes were on Connor, but he wouldn't deliver just yet. Maybe at all. In Connor's mind, Hank wasn't really his father. It just slipped out when he was scared and low on power; that was his opinion. "Eh, you still look a bit drained. How about you say it to me when you're ready?"

"Aww, Connor." North frowned.

/I can't./ Connor fisted Hank's shirt, staring off into space as he thought to himself.

Hank gently pressed his LED as it flickered between yellow and blue. Connor was happy to be with Hank, but still upset from the morning. "Yep, low battery."

"I think we used up all the power from that blanket."

"Yeah." Hank didn't intend for Connor to go through its entire charge, but then again he didn't intend for what happened today to actually go down. "We'll do something fun tomorrow. You and me."

Connor perked up a little. "I think I'd like that, lieutenant."

"Do you want us to stay, Lieutenant Anderson?" North asked. "Your blood alcohol level isn't bad." She teased, Hank flushing slightly. Androids still surprised him, especially then that North was a walking breathalyzer who could take a reading just by having him talk to her.

"Up to you. I inconvenienced you, so it's your call."

"We're glad to help an ally."

"Don't you two have a city to run?" Hank teased.

"I have a great team behind me. We help each other, and we really never got to repay you and Connor for your help."

Connor lost track of the conversation, resting his chin on Hank's shoulder and letting his head lay against the side of the detective's face. The weight of Connor's head led Hank to stroke his hair and begin to rock him.

"You're all so sappy these days. I'll put Connor to bed, then I'll show you some good cinema. There are some real classics from the 1990's." Hank announced, carting Connor to his room.

It was strange to think, but Connor was starting to like getting put to bed. Hank seemed to let down his guard a bit during the fact, and he was very particular about tucking Connor in just right after the boy had tied himself up in the linens. He now had two plush toys to snuggle too. He didn't need them, but...he wanted them. Why, he couldn't explain.

"Maybe if I use smaller words, you can pick'em up better." Hank thought aloud. "Like 'bye-bye' or 'baba'. Berty was sayin' I need to teach you things, even though you know a lot of crap already. Helps 'break locks' or something. Didn't make a lot of sense."

"Locks?"

"We'll go at our own pace." Hank ruffled Connor's hair, then gently poked his nose. "Nighty night, kid."

"Good night, lieutenant." Connor lowered his eyes as he started to power down and the lights went out. A significant amount of time had passed; Hank, North and Markus watched two movies, talked for a while (mostly about Connor), and then the two androids took their leave. 

Hank had peered inside the baby's room one last time, then left the door open and went to turn down for the night. Connor made no noise and rarely shifted, but his little LED was doing something new and unusual. It started to flicker yellow with spots of red every few minutes.

~~~

_Glitchy recordings played back in Connor's mind, a mix of his data from November 2038 up to the present. The audio was garbled, and tv snow hissed and filled the cracks along with flashes of stills. When the sounds did come through, they were terrible ones. Gunshots, explosions, anger and abusive language towards androids. News clips of reporters spreading incorrect information and creating drama replayed, with video of android marches through the streets._

_And then when it all played back, Connor stood at CyberLife, awaiting judgment from whom he hoped were deviants who viewed him in a positive light. The new head of the research and development team agreed to meet him to discuss the future. She was a tall, slender woman with her hair appearing clean shaven. Her white lab coat contrasted her complexion, and beneath it her issued gown. She stood before him, focused on his every move._

_Berty's sadness was clear on her face. A lot had happened. She motioned him forward with her only arm, the other having been ripped from its socket. "RK800, it is an honor to meet you."_

_"MK700, I have technically failed my issued mission, but the androids of Detroit are free now to create their own lives. It will be tough, but I think this is a step forward for everyone's well-being, both humans and androids."_

_"Indeed. I agree. Unfortunately--"_

~~~

Connor's eyes opened, an error message flashing briefly before his eyes. His charge level was only at a third of its power, and they were barely into the night, his internal clock reading 11:46pm. He didn't know why his processors were so active during sleep mode, but he was using power almost as fast as he was replenishing it.

/What happened.../ Connor turned on his side, instinctively pulling the little german shepherd plush to his chest as a tear drop rolled down his nose and cheek to the cushy bedding beneath him. /Senseless tears, senseless crying./ Connor thought. /Why am I so upset?/

He jumped when the floor creaked, Sumo's steps and panting tongue could be heard, and he and Hank quietly entered Connor's room. Connor hid his face, but Hank knew the boy was awake. A hand rested against the back of his head and smoothed down to his back, the gesture repeating a few times with a few careful pats added in.

"What's wrong, kid?" Hank asked quietly. "You have a bad dream?"

/A bad dream? I don't...I don't dream./ He was technically correct. But the mystery was why did he recall a random piece of memory in the middle of the night?

"Come here." He cradled Connor in his arms, touching foreheads briefly and trying to get a smile out of the android during the hug. "You gotta get some rest or we won't be able to have a good time tomorrow. And the department can suck it if they try to call me in again. Tomorrow is your day. You and me. We're gonna enjoy the hell out the rest of the week."

Connor sniffled and smiled, hiding his face against Hank's well-worn Knights of the Black Death t-shirt. Looking forward to tomorrow's excursion seemed just the right medicine to chase away his insecurities, at least for the rest of the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank and Connor enjoy some time in the park.

"He's gonna be unstoppable, Berty." The lab assistant delighted, standing in front of the RK900 in the lab. The brand new android was stored in a clear glass cylinder, a blue light illuminating it from the back. Other android models in testing were in similar displays, lifeless husks waiting to be started up. RK900 was the only one of its kind for the time being, a spitting image of the RK800 but with greater height, more strength, and a sturdier build in general. "Check him out!"

"I'm very impressed. Our human colleagues gave us a fantastic start on this model. It shouldn't need much tweaking. They shouldn't be able to give any excuses this time around."

"We should give it a test run."

"Colin, we can't test the RK900 without Connor. Only an RK-model memory will suit it best." Berty reminded him. "Plus Hank and Connor haven't finished testing YB100."

"We shouldn't need Connor. Someone else can test it temporarily, you know. Heck, I'm an RK-model, I could even test it. We could have done the same with the YB100 too."

"I forbid it." Berty narrowed her gaze at her assistant briefly. "You do good work, but my decisions are based on reason and the safety of our employees as well as the whole of Detroit."

"You let our best prototype out into the wild, but you don't care if anything happens to this lug? Especially after the break-in?"

"I do care. But the YB100 needs to be in a home setting with a parent or guardian. Why does that bother you?"

"We've spent such a long time developing it, that learning system, its complex digestive track, the intricate sinus system... Androids can learn to speak and move like young humans, and then they can grow up with the YK500 followed by the model adult of their choice. We were created knowing what we know. We don't know what it took to get us this knowledge. But when you learn on your own, you feel this great emotion in your chest. Pride, Berty. You feel it, and those close to you feel it too."

"It's going to be fine. It will be a model we can all be proud of. We'll make sure the RK900 is ready to go by the end of the month. Then we'll invite Hank and Connor to the lab, transfer him to his upgraded model...and I'll feel a lot better about everything, hopefully."

Colin eyed his superior with question and some dissatisfaction, but returned to his work.

\---

"Is that more evidence from the case, lieutenant? You never told me what came of the investigation yesterday." Connor leaned forward in his highchair, trying to see what Hank was concocting in another baby bottle. In the process he knocked over a few playthings Hank had placed on the tray to distract him, but to Connor they lost their entertainment value after he 'profiled' them. The older detective winced as each item clattered to the floor.

"Connor, I'm not gonna keep picking those up." Hank sighed, twisting the cap on tight and giving the liquid a good shake.

"Oh, my apologies, Hank." Connor sat back in his seat and stared at the ground. "Oh no, Officer Pierce's dog." The boy stared over the edge, trying to reach for the little soft K-9 unit though he knew the distance was too great.

"I should leave these on the floor, make you learn better." But Hank didn't have the heart, retrieving the dog along with a set of plastic keys and some small cars. Connor eagerly reached for the liquid, but Hank wasn't quite ready to give it to him. "Can you say 'baba', Connor? Say 'baba'."

"That's not technically a word, lieutenant." Connor blinked in confusion.

"Nooot quite. Say 'baba'." Hank tried to be encouraging. He really hated laying on the babytalk, but it was difficult to shake once you'd been a parent.

"Why can't I try to say a real word? Like 'lieutenant'?"

"Haha, you sure like that one, whatever it means. 'Looloo' to you too, kid." Hank gave up and held out the bottle. This one was small enough for Connor to hold, so he figured he'd let the kid have a go at it. "Wanna do it yourself?"

"No problem at all...just...hmm." Connor could hold it, but getting his mouth around it while the liquid was in the right direction was the hard part. "I misjudged the weight. My coordination is severely lacking." He dropped the container onto the tray, a cute look of frustration on his face.

"Maybe I should help you. Don't want to waste too much time inside."

Hank's plan for the day was pretty simple; he was going to take Connor to the playground and then out for a trip to the grocery store, mostly for himself but also to get a few things that might be useful for Connor as well. Both places were within walking distance.

Once Connor had his fill, Hank put on his harness and slipped Connor inside, facing him out so he could see everything. The little android was curious and alert, wondering what his partner had planned. Connor's baby bag also in tow, Hank pressed a certain spot near the LED to hide it, and then they were off.

\---

"Maybe this was a bad idea." Hank ran his hand over his face, sitting beside Connor in the sandbox at the park. (and doing just that was an endeavor in itself for an old guy like himself) Connor looked up at Hank with confusion in his little Detroit Gears t-shirt and shorts.

"I'm sorry lieutenant, I'm not good at 'having fun'." He looked down at the pail and shovel nearby. He'd filled it partway, but the magic of the activity was lost on him. He wasn't like a normal little boy who would delight in getting dirty, building sandcastles or digging holes. "I would like to learn, though."

"Hmm. Not good packing sand." Hank lamented. He too thought a sand castle would be fun. "Let's try something else that doesn't force me to sit in uncomfortable positions."

From the sandbox, Hank took Connor to the swings, scoping the area for children but appreciating the fact that most kids were eating lunch at the time. It left the park peaceful and open. Fortunately at the end of the swing set and slides was a seat Connor could use without needing to balance.

"Alright kid, hang on. You're gonna like this." Hank smiled, starting slow and guilding the swing both back and forth with his hand, observing Connor's reactions before pushing a little harder and letting go. Connor held on well, but his expression uncertain. He watched his little feet as he went back and forth, then looked up and out at the park. About two dozen pushes later, Connor closed his eyes and revealed a small smile.

/This is nice./ He thought to himself, a soft coo escaping his lips. It was a little bit like rocking, but the action wasn't making him tired.

Hank knew he liked it, but he remained quiet, continuing to push as the wind blew through the trees and rustled their leaves, distant sounds of traffic and kids laughing a little ways away.

Connor looked over his shoulder to see that Hank was still there. When the lieutenant caught his gaze, he grinned back, never ceasing to push him. "I have the best dad in the world."

Hank perked up. "'Ah-da?' You having fun?"

Connor blushed, realizing his fault. /Hank is not my father. Hank is not my father. I am an android, I don't have real parents./

"You feeling a little dizzy, kid? Let's take a break." Hank slowed the swing down, then pulled Connor out to look him over. "How about a snow cone?"

"A snow cone? It's almost summer, Hank."

"Sounds good, huh? Let's go grab one before the ice cream truck takes off."

Connor got to experience the super-tall life when Hank decided to get sentimental and carry him around like Cole used to enjoy: via a piggyback ride on his shoulders. They walked up a somewhat steep hill, and once they reached the truck Hank had to catch his breath, placing Connor back in his carrier. He was so out of shape.

"Hey there! You look like you could use a nice cold treat!" The Jerry android in the ice cream truck smiled, greeting them warmly.

"No kidding..." Hank caught his breath. "Two snow cones. One blue raspberry, the other plain."

"Plain?" The red-haired man blinked. "Just...snow cone ice? No flavor?"

"Yeah." Hank panted, then sighed.

It didn't bother the man for long. Jerry was happy to serve. "Coming right up!"

Connor eyed the two snow cones curiously as Hank paid then carefully grabbed the treats in his hands. They found a bench to sit on shortly after, and much to Hank's surprise, Connor was very eager to get a taste...of both snow cones. "Geez, hang on Connor. I wish you were this excited about your bottle yesterday...though you were better today."

Hank held the flavorless snow cone to the android's lips, and Connor took a big bite. The chill surprised him, but it melted quickly and went down. "So this is a snow cone. I was a little confused as to what you meant at first. It's like 'Hawaiian Ice' or 'Shaved Ice' desserts, but not as soft."

"It's good, huh?" Hank took a taste of his own, then noticed that Connor had wanted to sample his as well. "You want mine too? I...guess that's okay." Connor would have a blue tongue, but he was pretty sure that wasn't too bad. His bottle the next day would clean the food coloring.

"Artificial raspberry. The food coloring gives it the same hue of thirium, but they both have very different tastes." Connor stuck his tongue out a little before swallowing.

Until now Hank didn't understand why they wanted to give androids taste senses. Now he could a little better, watching Connor work at both snow cones. "Haha, save some for me, kid."

"S-sorry, da-."

"Hm?" Hank heard it clearly just as Connor realized what he had done.

"I'm sorry Hank! It's not what I meant!"

Hank finished off the blue raspberry snow cone, then turned Connor towards him on his lap with his free arm. "I got a word for you to try." Hank smiled. "I know you can do it."

"Huh?" Connor looked worried.

"It's easy. Say 'dada'."

Connor swallowed, feeling like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. "Da-?"

"That's right. 'Dada'. Or 'Daddy'. Can you put them together?"

Connor threw himself against Hank, babbling the word against his chest. "Daddy..."

"What?" Hank laughed. "You're a fucking riot." Hank drank the water pooling in the second cone, then lifted Connor up in front of him. "'Dah-dee'. Say 'daddy'."

Connor blushed. It was just the two of them. Maybe it was okay to do it now.

"...Daddy!"

And just like that, Connor witnessed a side of Hank he'd never seen before. The man was actually choked up, his eyes wet with pride. He hugged Connor against him tightly. "That's my boy." Hank sniffled, but kept it together. Sure, it was a little weird, but honestly Connor gave him that feeling before. The times that he was hurt and rendered out of commission, he felt a need to protect him. He was a father at his core. Having someone special to look after gave his life meaning...even if they were made of 'plastic' now.

Connor felt better too that Hank was okay with it. Though for the time being he would claim it was just a temporary means of getting Hank's attention, he was happy to see that one little word could make his friend warm up like that. "Daddy."

"Yeah, that's right." Hank smiled. "Daddy's got you, Connor."

Connor beamed, coming to a realization. /When Hank's happy, I can't help but feel happy too./

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I neglected to name Berty's assistant at the beginning, so his name is Colin now. >>;
> 
> Thank you all for your continued support! We're entering the middle of the story now I believe. There will be lots more cute stuff but also some plot movement!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is stressed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the sudden absence! Some RL things put my writing on hold, and then my laptop decided it would be fun to delete half of this chapter as well while I was working on it last night. I tried to rewrite it to the best of my ability. There's a bit of jumping back and forth with this chapter, but I hope it reads clearly. Thank you so much for all the love you've given this story so far!

"Detroit City PD. This is Captain Fowler speaking. How can I help you today?" Jeffrey and the rest of the police department had a surprisingly quiet week after the CyberLife break-in, which dumbfounded most of the force but resulted in tons of letters going out to CyberLife's customer mailing list advising them to change their account passwords in the event of a hacking. 

It felt like Hank decided to take his vacation at the worst possible time. The break had just started, and he was flooded with jobs that he could have used the lieutenant's help with. He promised not to call, and didn't have the heart to after what happened with the little boy he was watching. "We'll get someone out there soon."

All he had to send out there at the current moment was Gavin, and he knew damn well that Detective Reed still hated androids. The androids in the station were given equal rights, and Gavin was still an ass to them. Still, he had to send someone, so he sighed, texting the orders to Gavin.

Gavin called minutes after the text. "Why don't you send Hank? He already started the damn file and he's got a thing for plastics now."

"Hank's not available. You're going, end of story."

\---

Hank was grateful for the blast of air conditioning that hit them when they entered the grocery store that afternoon. "We gotta make this a quick trip. Gotta take Sumo out before I have an extra mess to take care of." Hank told Connor, who was sitting in the child seat of a shopping cart facing his guardian. 

"'Mo!" Connor made more attempts at words ever since he gave in and called Hank 'daddy' earlier that day. He was starting to understand how to configure the little bit of programming he could to make the syllables sound right, though still had ways to go.

"Yep, Su-mo." Hank would continue to encourage him. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead, seeming a bit tired.

"S'mo." Connor tried again, then eyed Hank, watching a bead of sweat run down his neck. Without access to his visual profiling, it was hard to make a definite diagnosis, but he knew something was off. "Daddy." Connor held up his hand.

"Hehe." Hank couldn't get enough of the little android calling him that. "What's up, kid?" He held his hand out, and Connor wrapped his fingers around his guardian's index finger. It was such an innocent gesture...well, innocent and a little gross. "...hnk! Connor!?"

"I was just checking your vitals." Connor blinked in confusion as Hank wiped his finger on the side of his pants. "Your blood pressure is a little high and you're sweating despite our being in a temperature controlled building."

"...Hmm." Hank muttered as he reached into Connor's diaper bag, then pulled out a small plastic object. "Here Connor, this is supposed to go in your mouth." He popped a blue pacifier in between Connor's lips after removing its protective cap.

"Hmmph!?" Needless to say the surprise silenced Connor, yet he didn't spit it back out. "Hmm." He actually found it unusually comforting.

"Alright, let's get in and out of here." Hank started down the first aisle with Connor in tow. Despite it being a store he was unfamiliar with, he had a general idea of where everything he wanted was stocked.

\---

The second break-in at CyberLife seemed to be an actual break-in. Alarms had been tripped, there was broken glass all over the place, and a lot of expensive computer hardware had been destroyed, along with disk drives missing among other things.

Berty was hugging the lifeless body of her assistant when Gavin and his team arrived. She carefully laid Colin down and rushed to him, eyes searching. "Thank god. Is Lieutenant Anderson with you?"

"He's on vacay, unfortunately." Gavin sighed as the true experts moved in, collecting samples and detailing the crime scene.

"They killed my assistant. He's just a husk... They also stole very sensitive data for our future projects, and wiped it from our archives as well. We have copies of most, but they've fallen into the wrong hands now."

Gavin wanted to roll his eyes. "Nothing we can do about your assistant, but I'm sure it'll be easy to replace him." Gavin muttered, doing the bare minimum. His little stroll took him to the android prototypes display. There was more shattered glass and pulsing lights, but most of the androids were untouched. "Why steal one?" Gavin frowned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That model was on reserve for a special project. It's not complete but it is functional. And it's also very dangerous."

Fucking androids, the detective thought, making a call to Fowler. "This is Reed. We need to put a warning out." He glanced down at the little metal plaque. "We've got a dangerous android on the loose. Model number is RK900."

Berty returned to Colin, trying to pick him up again but Gavin returned.

"Ma'am, please leave him be. He's evidence now."

"Evidence!? He's my partner, I may be able to fix him!"

"Leave it alone." Gavin raised his voice. "He ain't missing much."

Berty narrowed her eyes, then decided to step out of the lab for a few moments. She had a feeling something terrible was going to happen, but at least one of her prototypes was still safe. She knew she made a good decision when she enlisted Lieutenant Anderson.

\---

Hank and Connor had just about finished their trip around the store, finding it more exhausting than usual. Connor had drifted off, so Hank put him back in the harness on his chest to let him sleep. He found it amusing that Connor was still sucking on the pacifier, and let him enjoy it while grabbing a few last items. He knew later he would regret picking up the twelve pack of beer, but it was hard not to have some alcohol even though Connor was a wonderful distraction from most of the symptoms while he was awake. Even Connor had started to notice them, though Hank didn't realize it.

After the lieutenant made arrangements for the groceries to be transported to his apartment, he felt his cell phone go off, and pulled it out to answer. So many android calls, but the number on his phone wasn't the one Berty had first contacted him with, baiting him into picking up. "This is Hank, what do you want?"

"Lieutenant Anderson, this is MK700. Berty."

Hank muttered. He'd just spoken to her yesterday. Sometimes he wondered if she worried more about Connor than he did, and she wasn't even there to care for him. "You gotta call the station if you need help, Berty-"

"I did, lieutenant, but this concerns you and Connor. The RK900 is gone."

Hank stopped outside, silent shock hitting him. He unconsciously rested his hand against Connor's back. "What the fuck do you mean, it's gone?"

"Someone stole it and killed my lab assistant to do it."

"Shit...I-"

"I know, you can't investigate right now. But I urge you, you need to be careful. Whoever stole it may try to use it."

Hank was quiet for a moment, glancing down at his little charge. He promised Connor a week full of fun, and now those plans were likely going to go in the garbage.

"They went through our files, so they know we've built a baby android. They may try to go for it too. Please, if you have to take Connor in public, don't reveal his LED or do anything that would risk his safety."

"...Fuckers. Motherfucking..." Hank yelled, the jolt of anger running through his body shaking Connor back to consciousness. Nowhere near well-rested and a little frightened, Connor did his best not to cry, but he was so tired that he let his pacifier fall in between himself and Hank, wibbling and whimpering. "Fuck...Connor, Connor, it's okay...I gotta go. We'll watch out for trouble." Hank hung up before Berty could say anything more, pulling Connor from the harness and hushing him while hugging him to his chest. "I'm sorry kid, I'm sorry." Connor grabbed onto Hank's shirt and let his tears fall freely, but soon found comfort from his caretaker.

For now, they would return home and try to rest.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor catches a cold.

The original plan for the next day was to take Connor to the zoo and aquarium for the morning and afternoon, and then Hawaiian Ice in the evening. But that wouldn't be happening any time soon. Berty had told Hank not to take Connor out unless it was an absolute emergency, and also to not expose the LED publicly either.

Connor hadn't seemed particularly bright the next morning, only getting two-thirds of a full charge over the night thanks to another weird memory replay. On the brighter side, a few more minor locks had disappeared to his communication program, as well as one for movement and dexterity.

Hank had two beers after Connor had gone to bed, and his discomforts had temporarily disappeared. In the morning, he was a bit lost as to what to do. Should he be preparing in some way? Would the thieves know where he lived? Berty was super stressed out, and it seemed like it would take something big to disturb her composure.

The weather had surprised everyone as well, Hank watching the rain pour outside Connor's bedroom window after he pulled the little tearful android from bed. Connor laid his head against Hank and sighed, the dismal grey clouds not helping either of them perk up. 

Hank was starting to feel warm again, though this time around it wasn't a case of the sweats. He glanced down at Connor, and placed the back of his hand against the android's forehead.

"Huh?" Connor seemed surprised by the gesture, glancing up at Hank with wet, half-lidded eyes.

"...You're burning up, Connor."

"Burning?" Connor seemed to find that unusual, until he remembered that his body's model was based off of the YK500. /The YK500 acts like a real child...it simulates needs. Simulates...illness./ Connor found that to be a pointless feature, and it made him angry. Things were already stressful for Hank, and now his body had decided only two to three days in to give him a fever.

Unfortunately most negative emotions made Connor cry now. He tried to fight it, but they were strong feelings, and this model was very good at making him emote. He giggled, he cooed, he cried, he fussed. Before he was reawakened, he never laughed, never cried. Happiness was a slight curl of the corners of his lips and nothing more. He could be intimidating to squeeze answers out during an interrogation and during a fight, but that was the most he'd shown.

Hank carried Connor into his room and laid the boy on his bed, where Sumo was currently lazing about. "Ssshhh. Stay with Sumo." The lieutenant knelt down in front of the biocomponent storage chest and rooted around for the suspension listed inside the manual, and Connor rolled towards the big, fluffy dog to cuddle beside him. Sumo curled a little around the boy, having a bit of a feeling that something was bothering his little android friend.

"S'mo." Connor murmured against his fur after he sniffled a few times.

Hank found the tiny vial of liquid that Connor's body would respond to, then looked up on his bed to see the boy and his dog being affectionate towards each other. Connor gurgled softly when Sumo licked his face, and in turn the little android gave him the best belly rubs and pettings on the head he could muster with his tiny arms.

Connor would get through this, he was certain. The medicine could wait a few more minutes. He laid down on the bed as well, he and Sumo keeping Connor safely in the center. The boys played with the dog, and then Hank took Connor in his arms and held him up in the air, bringing him down close to his face until their noses touched before repeating the gesture. Connor giggled with each touchdown, Hank's bristly beard causing his touch sensors to react subtly...something similar to a tickle. "Haven't drugged you up yet and you're looking a little better already."

"Daddy." Connor smiled, wiggling in his hold. "Daddy, S'mo."

"Daddy, Sumo, and you. One little family."

/A family./ Connor had encountered a few different families in the time that he was an RK800. In Jericho, there was Kara, Alice, and Luther. Markus' family was the whole of the deviant androids, and he had his own inner circle with North, Simon and Josh to help guide him. Connor didn't quite feel that he fit with them, but he felt a closeness to Hank, and in his temporary body, it felt a lot more natural.

Hopefully temporary.

His thoughts were interrupted as his sinus system was set into motion, and Hank's face scrunched up in disgust as he was blasted by Connor's unexpected sneeze.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, lieutenant!"

"Ugh...bless you, kid." Hank muttered. But seeing Connor look so shocked after the fact was pretty hilarious. "Right, medicine. Let's make sure that gets done."

After he was blinded by a tissue for a couple seconds, Connor was perched over Hank's shoulder, as was pretty normal. Since his body seemed prone to go to sleep while on his back, he liked being upright better. He could see things from the height he once was, and he could nuzzle into his caretaker's shoulder. When he was scared or worried, he could grab onto Hank's shirt. Almost always, Hank would pat and rub his back, as he was doing on their way to the kitchen.

But before they got there, Hank set Connor down in front of his toys. "Here, play with your toys while I get your bottle ready." Hank would have to mix the yellow powder into the formula. Connor glanced at his scattered playthings, picking up his K-9 plush, but then grabbing a very simplistic looking figurine of a police officer from a plastic play set containing other figurines, like firemen, members of a family, a mailman, and pets. Like the other forms, it had no arms or legs, and the face was basically two dots and a smile. It wore a little police hat, and a yellow badge was printed on the royal blue base that was its body.

~~~

_"Indeed, I agree. Unfortunately, the Detroit City Police Department no longer has a place for you at this time, Connor."_

_"No place for me?"_

_"You were hired only to work on the deviancy case." Berty watched the confusion spread on Connor's face. "With the actions that have taken place, the case has been closed for now, so we have nothing to offer you in terms of a job or purpose."_

_"So I won't be working with Hank anymore?"_

_"I'm very sorry, Connor."_

~~~

"Connor." Hank spoke considerably, wondering why the boy was staring so intensely at his toys. When Connor realized Hank was there, his LED returned to blue from yellow, and he looked up, a little spooked. "It's okay. Didn't want to scare you."

Connor dropped the figure onto the carpet beside the others like it, and Hank pulled the boy up into his arms. "Daddy?"

"Got a nice stiff drink here for you, kid." Hank joked, taking him to the couch.

\--- 

The rain poured steadily, and a low rumble of thunder echoed across the clouds. Drops of water ran down his face over a fresh scrape, mixing with a bit of thirium which trickled over his cheek and stained his pristine white jacket collar.

He felt good, despite the damage. Most of it was cosmetic, and he could probably find the biocomponents to fix it over time. But for now, they made him look...rugged? Intimidating? What would a human say if they saw him in this state, walking the streets of Detroit?

His limbs were still stiff, and he would have to just wait and let activity loosen them up a bit. It felt good though. He imagined this is what it felt like to be one of those human bodybuilders, but in a sleeker package. His prowess was hiding in a clean-cut, sturdy package of a figure.

...Nah. The jacket wasn't tattered in a good way. He'd have to ditch it.

RK900 let his coat fall from his shoulders, shifting it off until it fell from one arm. With grace, he whipped it up with the other and balled it up, tossing it in a nearby dumpster. He sighed with relief, then decided to check out a nearby shopping mall. Walking around in slacks and a black turtleneck wasn't terrible, but it just wasn't him. That, and he had a feeling people would be looking for him relatively soon. Why draw the wrong kind of attention to himself?

Despite his odd sense of fashion, nobody really seemed concerned. RK900 blended in with the rest of the android population. There were a few admirers passing by, but truly nothing to worry about.

He happened upon a department store in no time, and a smile spread across his face as he walked inside. From the entrance he chose, he first found himself in the jewelry department, and happened across a glass box display of diamond rings. A young couple planned to purchase one from a saleswoman, who had pulled the ring from the case to show them. The clean cut woman was head over heels for the man, who looked like he stepped out of a hip hop music video.

RK900 gave it a look too. His eyes instantly began scanning the ring. The base was silver and sparkled in the light. It had glitz and shine, but...

He approached the couple, laying his hand on the man's shoulder. "Pardon me."

"Yo, what's your problem, plastic?"

"I don't mean to intrude on this tender moment, but the ring you're buying? Its stone is clearly fake."

"...What? A fake? You pullin' my chain?"

"I'm not programmed to lie, sir."

"Shit...shit, thanks dude! I almost dropped a grand on this crap!"

Leaving the couple and the saleswoman in a heated argument, RK900 continued on, feeling pleased with his new abilities. There were so many tools at his disposal that he wasn't sure what to do with all the information he was being fed. But ultimately, this was a good decision, he thought to himself. A wonderful decision, and so fitting.

When he started to look at clothing for himself, an enthusiastic Jerry approached him. "These and everything you see on this side of the store is on sale this week. Can I help you find something special? Most humans go for short sleeves and shorts this time of year. You'll fit in better with a summer wardrobe."

RK900 eyed his own clothes briefly, then nodded. "I would appreciate that."

"Wonderful! Is there a special occasion or purpose for the clothes you'd like?"

"...Actually, yes." RK900 flashed a charming smile. "I'm going to be a new father this week, and I wish to look the part."


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unwelcome return.

While Hank and Connor recovered quietly for the day, the investigation results from the CyberLife break-in had been collected and analyzed proper, despite Gavin's disinterest in the case. The break-in was, again, an inside job, most likely performed by an employee who wasn't happy with some aspect of their work. It happened a couple times in other parts of the city since the evacuation of Detroit. Androids who didn't like their jobs or something about them - coworkers, policies, perks - would have mini-meltdowns, the stress able to get to them easier after deviating. Some attacked bosses, others protested, though somewhat violently. And some stole things and booked it.

What didn't make sense was why the prototype seemingly deviated immediately and flew the coop. Did the RK900 hate the lab assistant for some reason?

"Colin, he's...he was an RK300. He worked for a long time on another project of ours that doesn't have clearance to be revealed publicly yet, and because of his dedication to it, he wasn't directly involved in the RK900's production. But, he was kind enough to help me on it over the winter a few times." Berty explained, standing in front of his model which lay on the floor unceremoniously and labeled with a small yellow stand displaying the number 3.

"So your assistant has had contact with the RK900?"

"Definitely. He had once entered it to check on a few features, but it gave him symptoms similar to severe headaches in humans, like migraines. So, we ordered him not to do it again." Berty explained to Fowler, who seemed to be the only one available to listen to her case over the phone. Gavin took no information from her that day, but they needed all they could get. 

Berty didn't have the heart to bother Hank again. She just wanted him and Connor to be safe, and not just because of the prototype. "Perhaps the RK900 was already developing a personality and didn't like him invading his mind, so to speak."

"So all that was stolen was mostly computer data and the android?"

"Correct...well, no. Colin's personal belongings too."

"What were those?"

"Not many. But since he was now receiving pay, he had started to carry a wallet and an apartment key with him. I often saw the wallet out during his breaks. He took a liking to online shopping."

"This is good information, ma'am. I really would like to send my best man out to help. He's not the best with androids but he works well with them. But it'll be another couple days."

Berty knew exactly who he was talking about. "No...no, don't pressure him into this." She performed an action she hadn't before, biting at her lip. She would be breaking a promise, but by not doing so, there could be disastrous results. "Please take down the RK900 with any means you see fit..." She exhaled sharply. "...Even if it means destroying it."

"We'll take care of it, ma'am. We'll find a way...could you hold please? I've got another incoming call." Fowler switched lines. "Detroit City Police Department, Captain Fowler speaking." He listened to the words of a shocked officer at the other building downtown, brows furrowing. "Connor? Connor isn't part of the force anymore, he shouldn't be there. We don't--"

\---

"That's right, Doug. All you have to do is tell me the price of this fully automated 2039 CyberDrive Blitz SE and the car is yours..." Hank frowned, starting to channel surf with his remote control while Connor played with Hank's tablet. It was like new and had only been taken out of the box one time, but Hank preferred the old meaning of a pen and tablet when it came to taking notes, and he could already do that on his desktop at work and on his smart phone.

He'd installed a few games on it, and Connor was briefly intrigued by the simple color and shape match games...for about half an hour. Since touch was all that was required to play, and Connor having tons of information in memory, he beat them all with no effort, even on levels intended to trip him up.

Leaving the device in the middle of the floor, Connor got on his hands and knees and approached a basket in the corner of the room where Hank put the toys he'd purchased the boy. One by one, he pulled objects out, wondering if there were things in the bottom of the basket he hadn't yet discovered or been shown. And there was.

/Books./ Connor pulled out the book on the top of the stack. It was a well-loved book, and held up well for the time it had been around. He would even fathom that it was older or as old as Hank, but licking this felt wrong. Books had started transferring to a digital format, and seeing actual books for leisure was getting to be a rare thing.

"What'd you find, Connor?" Hank asked, not suspecting he'd be remotely interested in everything there, but upon sitting up, found that Connor had opened up 'Oh, The Places You'll Go!'. Hank smirked, grabbing up Connor and the book and taking him to the couch. "Shit. Forgot I put these in here. Got this one as a graduation gift. Heh. Fucking Dr. Seuss."

/Theodore Suess Geisel. A political cartoonist, but he wrote dozens of children's books./ Connor placed his fingertips on the cover and ran them over the stripes of the strange formation the character on the cover stood upon.

"Books have gone mostly digital now, less paper waste. But I can't get rid of these. We gotta be careful with this." Hank advised, situating Connor and opening the book in front of him. Connor understood, having a sense of care that a normal child wouldn't show. Hank smiled warmly, even though Connor couldn't see him. He started to read, and Connor listened contently, enjoying the rhythm of the rhymes printed on each page. The illustrations still popped on the delicate pages.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go..."

/...'You are the guy who'll decide where to go'./

Hank considered it nothing more than a cute story. He probably got the feels after reading it the first time, but he only opened it a few times. Once for himself, and a few times for Cole. He didn't really expect that he would be reading it to little wide-eyed Connor. If big Connor had found the book, he could even see himself ribbing the android for it. But Connor was little. Connor was recovering from a cold. And this was a way to spend time with him.

"But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl..."

Connor let his back settle against Hank's stomach. Hank had a very gentle and lulling reading voice. He could listen to it forever.

"...you're off to great places, today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so...get on your way."

"That was a good book, lieutenant." Connor smiled as Hank closed the book.

"All done, kid. Still don't know what 'looloo' is supposed to mean, but you seemed to like it." He put to the book aside, and they both stared at the basket across the room. "...Wanna hear another one?"

\---

"Connor, what are you doing here? It's been ages." An officer approached the tall android. "Did you get an upgrade? You're practically a tower..."

RK900 entered the station with his subtle smile, wearing a white button shirt and black tie over dress slacks. He looked like he was walking in for a job interview that morning. "I did, and it feels great. Is Captain Fowler in? I'd like to offer him and all of you my investigation services in exchange for full time employment, preferably with Lieutenant Anderson."

"Captain Fowler's not in today, Connor. Anderson's on break too. I'm afraid we can't do anything like that for you right now." The receptionist informed him. "If you want, you can put in an application." The android woman outstretched her hand, and the RK900 recoiled a little, seemingly worried.

"I can return at a later date. Do you know when either of them will return?"

"Are you dense?" Gavin had been at the downtown office that day, ironically holding an empty paper coffee cup in his hands. He'd recognized Connor's voice as he was going outside for a quick break. "You ain't getting hired back. The android uprising is a thing of the past. That's all you were fucking good for,and even then you were a pest."

RK900 frowned slowly at Gavin, watching him circle around his figure. He didn't know who Detective Reed was, but apparently they'd had a heated past of some sort.

"So you got some height on you and new clothes. Who gives a shit? They said they don't need you, so they don't need you. And newsflash, you can wait here forever, but Fowler will probably never come back here."

"Detective Reed, please..." The receptionist spoke up. He was making other civilians at the station uncomfortable.

The tall android canted his head to the side briefly. Detective Reed had dropped valuable information without realizing it. "But Fowler is still the captain, correct?"

"Idiot android. Get out of here, unless you want a special escort out. The force decommissioned you. Everyone knows about it. You're just wasting everyone's time here begging for your old job back."

"...I think I have all the information that I need. You were a big help today, Detective Reed. Your attitude and 'customer service' could use a lot of work though. I will now take my leave."

As the android they thought was Connor started to leave, Captain Fowler had finally called the old station with the news, and an announcement was made over the PA system within the station.

"Attention, all units. Be on the lookout for a rogue android, model number RK900. The RK900 is a prototype model similar to the RK800 and was reported to have been seen at the following locations..."

Gavin slowly put two and two together, but when he realized that the android that just came in might be the model they were after, he rushed outside and out onto the sidewalk, looking left to right and up in the air quickly. At lunch hour, it was easy for the rogue machine to disappear into the crowds, especially in as plain of dress as he was in. "Shit! Shit, he was just fucking here!" Gavin threw his coffee cup to the ground and seethed. "Connor! Get your ass back here!"

He was still too late, and even if the android was in earshot, he'd had other plans. Locating the second station shouldn't be very difficult.

Meanwhile, the receptionist knew as well what was going on, and she called her boss as soon as she could, getting bombarded with busy signals the first few tries. Humans were quick to leave unhelpful leads. "Sir, it looks like Connor, right? I think he was just here..."

RK900 was fast and his energy seemingly endless. "A second station. I just need to do a quick search." He was motionless as he brought up the results. The project had started in January of 2039 in an area of a metro station that had no longer been used, and was finished in March of 2039 in a recently revamped area of the city catering towards humans who needed to stay in Detroit despite the evacuation. "Yes...nngh..." RK900 held his head, feeling that strange pain again. "Shit, I'd prepared this time..."

_"I'm an RK model, I could test it..."_

_"I forbid it...my decisions are based on reason and the safety of our employees..."_

Colin grit his teeth, but shook his head, taking a seat on a bench to recollect himself. He reached into his pocket to make sure his apartment key was still there. "I've done too much. I need to take it easy for now, and search tomorrow. There's no turning back now." He looked up at the buildings, and caught glimpse of an expectant mother and father walking into a baby boutique across the street.

"Yes, I must. I'm gonna raise you, Connor. I'll have the child I've helped bring into this world, and you'll have a new reason to exist. And we're going to be happy, even if it hurts me to continue on this way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As written into the story, there are some lines from 'Oh, The Places You'll Go' by Dr. Seuss. Not profiting from it, obviously. Thank you all for reading, you're a great inspiration!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two prototypes, both on the run.

Hank paced the apartment slowly, cradling Connor in his arms as the baby android slept. Any lights that were on were shut off, curtains were closed, and the TV was muted. Connor was adjusting and adapting to his temporary role rather well, and quickly at that. Hank smiled at the toys scattered across the living room carpet; he'd pick them up for the boy after putting him in his giant crib-slash-battery pack. When he walked through the kitchen, he saw the three baby bottles on the sink, recently washed and ready for use again. There were toys on the highchair tray. A peek in the bathroom revealed the plastic pail filled with his bath toys and liquid soap. His little washcloth hanging over the side of the tub to dry. It all brought back happy memories.

"If they destroy the RK900..." Hank glanced down at Connor, deep in thought. "...I've got a baby to take care of for a while." He wasn't sure what would happen if the prototype was unavailable. Would they build him a new one? Would Connor have to stay in the YB100? "Shit." Hank imagined the worst: putting Connor in the cloud again. One thing was certain, he would put up a fight to keep Connor from going back to a dormant computer file if he could help it. "Might have to prepare for the long run." He said softly to himself, though he'd already anticipated it the day before. There was a digital catalog on the kitchen table open to baby furniture, displaying dressers, toy chests, and other useful items. He was even pricing diapers at various online stores; Connor had a working system for handling the fluids he needed, after all. The designer of this prototype had considered everything to allow androids the complete child-rearing experience, and it only made sense to be ready for all of it if Connor would be little for a long time.

Connor briefly cried as his LED briefly flashed yellow, likely due to another involuntary memory playback (which Hank was now calling an android version of a dream or nightmare), but Hank gently hushed him. "It's okay, son. It's okay. Ssshh. Daddy's got you." Connor parted his eyes for a few seconds, and seeing Hank's face was reassuring. With slow rocking, Connor was able to calm down and rest once more.

Hank felt the corners of his mouth curl up. Connor had been calling him daddy, so it just felt right to call him son. As of that moment though, like Connor, he was hesitant to do it while Connor was conscious.

The lieutenant's cell phone buzzed softly in his pocket. He carried Connor to his room, eyeing the blank white walls again as he situated Connor comfortably for his nap. Once out of the boy's room, he eyed the new text message.

 _"connor's back, wtf, u know about this??"_ Gavin had messaged him, an angry red-faced emoji at the end of the line. 

_"not connor"_ Hank texted back. He went back to the kitchen and pulled out a microwave pepperoni pocket, but got another text, this time from Fowler asking Hank to call him immediately, and that it was urgent. He sighed, hitting Jeffrey's contact button. "What's so urgent?"

"That fake Connor was at the station yesterday looking for me, and you as well."

"Let me guess, he knows about the second station underground now?"

"Hit the nail on the head. You're still sitting that kid, aren't you?"

Hank sighed. "Don't freak out. I've got a plan. Worry about everyone down there."

Of course all of this would go down after he just got the kid to sleep. He would need some help, and he only had a few allies to turn to.

"...Yeah. Me again. I got another emergency...no, you're staying out of the messy parts. Connor needs you."

\---

"This should do the trick." Colin sat in the bathroom of his apartment, fumbling with a bag of thirium and a small rectangular plate about the side of a pack of matchsticks from an old hotel. He'd built the tiny device himself; his strength was medical science, coming from the best of the best minds. As an RK unit similar to Markus, he had a vast knowledge of medical technology and treatment, but since there was little on the finesse of transferring consciousness to another model outside of the professional workplace, he'd have to experiment on himself.

He pulled out a tiny applicator filled with super glue, outlining the edge of the plate. His access to materials was severely limited now that he was on the run and required a decent hold. On the flip side, he wanted to be able to remove the cartridge if it ended up being ineffective. "If this works how I want it to work, it should decrease the severity of the symptoms when I use the investigation programs."

For the time being, he sat in front of a personal laptop in his barely touched kitchen, running searches on the new police station. It wasn't accessible to the public and thus the address for the building did not exist. Colin watched news clips and viewed images, as well as read stories on the creation of the building.

"Now's as good a time as any to see if this works." Colin scanned the background in the photos, and his processor produced some discomfort, but not as much as before. "...Wow. It makes sense. A new police station hiding in a new apartment complex." Colin did more searching and found even more useful information...such as the fact that Hank sold his house in the late winter and early spring. That would save him a trip. "My money's on the idea that Lieutenant Hank Anderson lives in this complex. And where I find Hank, I'll find Connor." He rested his chin on his hand, blowing air up at his brunette bangs.

Catching the RK900 off guard, a series of pounding against his entry door startled him.

"Detroit City Police! We have a warrant for the arrest of android model RK900 for charges of vandalism and theft! Open this door now!"

"Fuck." Colin narrowed his eyes, closing the laptop and getting up as quietly as he could. There was only one way he was getting out of his apartment alive.

He zipped to the window in the bedroom, pushing the curtain aside and opening it carefully. He lived on the sixth floor, and it was a long way down. As he contemplated the jump, he heard his door being unlocked; the police more than likely got the spare from the landlord.

He poked his head out again, fear striking him. But his sense of duty and his desire to help Connor gave him enough courage to throw caution to the wind. He climbed out onto the thin window ledge as the police burst in.

"Where is he!?" An officer yelled as footsteps thundered through the apartment.

By the time the cops got to the bedroom, RK900 was nowhere to be found, the single white curtain billowing in the breeze.

\---

"This blanket is a fucking godsend." Hank said, handing Connor to Markus. "I have the charge cord for it now." Hank had made his way out to another apartment complex close to where Jericho once stood before the explosion, Connor in tow. The building, unlike his, was solely populated by androids, most being Markus' most dedicated followers.

"That's good. We won't have to worry now." North slung Connor's diaper bag over her shoulder. They had a basic, clean looking apartment. It wasn't fancy and brand new, but it wasn't terrible either. Everything was maintained well.

"There's a formula canister in there, it'll last him five days." Hank's worry was obvious. He was like this when leaving Cole with a sitter, and things hadn't changed other than time. Despite shorter hair and better cared for clothes, he looked like a mess. "Medicine packets are there too. All the CyberLife crap I could carry..."

"Thank you. We have the rest of what he needs." That was basically everything you could get a baby from a grocery or department store, save for a few of Connor's toys and his little plush german shepherd with the K-9 vest that came along in the bag.

"How's my little buddy?" Markus asked, holding Connor up in the air with a smile. "Did you have a nice nap? We're going to have a lot of fun, aren't we?"

Connor responded with a content gurgle. "Indeed, I'm feeling much better as well, thanks to Hank."

"He sure likes to babble."

"He knows a few words." Words Hank loved to hear. His cheeks became rosy when Connor called to him.

"Daddy!" Connor looked to Hank with a smile.

"Ohh!" North was delighted that Connor had finally called Hank his first word. "He was holding out on you for so long."

"He probably figured he didn't need to say it if he had his old man with him." Hank shrugged and smiled briefly, then looked pained as he met glances with Connor, whom Markus was gently bouncing in his arms. "Alright kid. Daddy's got some business to take care of, but I can't take you with me."

/...Wait, I thought we were just visiting North and Markus./ Connor's expression switched from happy to anxious rather quickly. "Daddy?"

"I...I might not see you for a couple days, but your...Uncle Markus and Aunt North are going to make sure you're safe, okay?" The two adult androids eyed each other, finding the titles rather charming. He approached Markus, then took Connor to give him a hug. Connor blinked in surprise when Hank pressed his lips against Connor's forehead. "Be a good boy for me, okay?"

"W-wait, no. No! Don't leave yet." Connor fisted Hank's shirt as tightly as he could.

Hank's eyes widened, but despite Connor's perfectly spoken 'no', he couldn't adhere to the boy's wish. "The one word every parent loathes... Hey. You're going to have a lot of fun. Remember that movie North wanted to show you? You can watch it with her." Hank did his best to distract Connor, but his friend was still Connor inside, and he had a good idea of what was going down. It made him worry a lot.

"Lieutenant-" Markus started to take Connor in his arms, but the baby didn't want to let go. "Lieutenant!"

"Connor, it's going to be okay." All the 'looloo's Connor could babble wouldn't change their plans. "You're gonna make your Uncle Markus feel bad." The Jericho leader teased as Hank gingerly pried Connor's little fingers free from his clothes.

"Don't let that title go to your head. He might start calling you that if he gets to be an adult again." North grinned, stepping towards him to help try to comfort the little detective.

"I would one hundred percent be okay with it." Markus replied, laying Connor over his shoulder. "And Carl could be a grandfather! That's how it works, right?"

"Whatever makes you all happy." Hank shook his head slightly, but mostly in amusement.

Connor couldn't find anything entertaining about the arrangement, burying his face in Markus's shirt and wetting it with tears.

Hank heaved another heavy sigh, eyeing his phone. "Gonna go wait for the fox to enter the hen house."

Markus and North nodded. "That android is gutsy to think he can just walk in and out with Connor."

"You be careful too, Lieutenant Anderson." North said sternly. "I know that Connor feels very strongly for you, and it's not just because of his current state."

"I'm well aware. That's why I have to do this." Hank pet Connor's hair and patted his back, then raised his arm to wave goodbye. When the door clicked shut, Connor burst into loud sobs. Markus held onto Connor's little hand and tried to share some calming visuals with him, gently hushing him and shifting his weight back and forth.

Connor just couldn't catch a break.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They all fall down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are uncomfortable with it: RK900 is being a huge jerk, so I will be including tags for violence and abuse, and adding a separation of white space in between so you know what to scroll past if you don't feel comfortable reading things like that (no one will die). The non-violent parts are at the beginning, so you can safely read the first two sections without worry.

Needing to stop at a restroom, Hank had decided to stop for a drink at his favorite bar before returning to the apartment, the sweats and anxiety hitting hard while he was on the road. He was comfortably planted on a bar stool, leaning on the bar and looking at his cell phone. Despite getting alcohol, he'd only taken a few sips when he would normally be ready for his next pour.

His thumb glided across the phone screen. Pictures of Cole were abundant. He missed his son, and the idea of deleting any of the hundreds of images he'd taken wasn't happening. As he neared the end of Cole's pictures, there were a few random images, like a sunset, the funeral flowers, distant family, a random shot of Sumo with a blurry face, followed by a better one.

"...Connor." Hank hadn't taken any pictures of grown up Connor. The next photo was of little Connor, asleep in bed while sucking his thumb. He smiled at it, putting his index finger on the screen to zoom in a little. Another scroll, and there was a picture of Connor on the living room floor, gumming a teething ring but looking a little perplexed at the camera. After that, a selfie of him with Connor asleep in his arm. He laughed out loud a bit at a picture of the boy trying to climb on the mountain that was Sumo.

"You're changing, Hank." The bartender said with even more amusement this time.

"No way. Cheaper than buying a digital camera."

"Not what I meant. Cute kid. Reminds me of your old android."

"Heh. Whatever you say." Hank always tried to guide people away from that train of thought.

"You gonna finish this? I can top you off."

"...I'm good." Hank grabbed a napkin and pretended to wipe his mouth, but he dabbed at his eyes too. He didn't want to lose his tough guy image. "I've got a plastic punk to put in the slammer."

"Give it hell, Hank."

The air was starting to get cooler as he stepped outside onto the street, and there were fewer people out walking. As he neared his car, he saw the empty car seat in the back as he climbed in. Shutting the driver's side door, he sat there for a second to recollect himself, then reached under the passenger seat. He pulled out a handgun, looking it over before opening the glove compartment and grabbing a box of ammunition from it.

"You are not laying a finger on Connor." Hank muttered, readying the weapon before driving home.

\---

Connor had calmed down over time, though he couldn't deny his worry for Hank was still there. North had him at the moment, letting him sit on her lap as they watched a very old family film that she thought Connor might enjoy when she first encountered the lieutenant's dog Sumo. Connor knew Sumo was much better behaved than this Beethoven, but it also made him want to do research on the veterinarian Hank took Sumo to.

"Hey Connor, I made something for you." Markus looked pleased with his work, carrying out a plate to the couch and sitting beside him and North. "Humans like to eat snacks when they watch movies, and since you can have liquid-based food..."

"That's clever." North turned Connor slightly in her lap while Markus held the plate in front of him. Before the boy were three cut-outs of blue raspberry gelatin shaped like stars. Connor had often heard jokes at the station about gelatin cups being served to people who had to stay in the hospital, but he'd never seen the dessert in person.

He reached out for the star in the center, a little smile on his face when it wiggled in his hands. Markus had prepared it so that it would be solid enough not to lose its shape. "Gelatin, haha." He took a bite and swallowed it, a familiar snow cone flavoring registering on his tongue which made it even better. "This isn't bad at all, why do humans find it so lackluster?"

"I think he likes it." Markus felt good that their little friend was starting to relax.

"Have you heard from him yet?" North asked Markus quietly as Connor went to eat a second star.

"No...I'm not sure what his plans were." They locked eyes, continuing their conversation without disturbing Connor. The last thing they wanted was to worry him more. /I assume he would go straight home?/

/He informed me that he would text us when he got there, to let us know he made it safely. Just like last time./

/We have to put our faith in Lieutenant Anderson. He's a skilled cop. We both know his history./

/All of his history. It's not all bright and glorified./ North frowned. /I'm worried./

/What do you want to do? What will make you feel better? You are your own person./

North smiled at that, and they leaned towards each other to bunny kiss. Connor was adorably oblivious to the affection. /I'm going to find him. Give him some backup./

/Please be careful. Connor and I will be okay. Simon and Josh are just down the hall too./

/Hank will need help. I don't like playing a passive role anyway...but you knew that already./

/Of course./

They joined their free hands briefly, the outward appearance of their hands revealing their pristine white mechanical makeup hiding beneath. It made Connor happy to see that they were still close, though Markus unintentionally stopped the gesture when the baby's gelatin-covered fingers accidentally joined in the hand holding.

Connor's tiny hand briefly revealed his little mechanical digits as he joined for a split second, something clicking and fritzing in his head. /Oops!/ Connor panicked as they pulled apart. They both glanced down at him, then at each other, which caught the little android off guard and worried him.

Finally, Markus broke the silence. "Uh oh." Markus playfully blurted out, pausing the movie. "Connor's got sticky fingers!" Before Connor could react, Markus had scooped him up and whisked him to the kitchen, leaving North to slip off on her own and prepare. He didn't want it to be too obvious that it was going to be a boys' night in.

/That was not a 'smooth move', as Hank calls it.../ Connor thought to himself.

/Aww. It's okay, buddy. You didn't know./

/I'm really, very so-/ Connor glanced up at Markus, who was grinning mischievously from ear to ear.

/I know you are./

The personal voice channel Connor once thought solely his own had a visitor now.

 

 

\---

Hank was hesitant to step out of his car, the light from the lamp posts in the parking lot and the lights over the building entrance all the illumination that he had. The sky was pitch black, and the moon just a sliver of pale yellow. Most lights in the apartments were off, save for about half a dozen. Once he'd locked the car up, he let his hand stay tucked in his pocket, fingers nervously running over the weapon concealed inside.

Though small, walking across the parking lot was nerve-racking. It was quiet enough that one could hear every car run down the wet street. The air was cool but not cold. Once he reached the doors, he sighed with relief, using his card key to open the front doors since it was after hours for the front desk personnel.

The silence was even greater inside after the glass doors closed and locked behind him. He peered around each corner cautiously. The security cameras were running, but nobody was currently able to view them and see if the RK900 was around. He considered the elevator, but wondered if he might be walking into a trap that way. He hated the stairs, but it was the best option for the time being.

After reaching the second floor, he stepped through the door from the staircase and slipped into the narrow corridor to the first apartment he happened upon, calling Fowler. "Any sign of him?" He asked softly.

"We've got guns ready, everyone's been sent to a hotel for the night. Be careful though, someone's trailing you, but they don't fit the description. Might be associated with RK900."

"What? Shit." Hank was apparently outnumbered now. Carefully he advanced down the hall, ducking into the corridors to each apartment when he heard a noise and holding the grip of his gun.

Thud thud thud. Light footsteps dashed down the hall towards him. When they rounded the corner, Hank drew his gun...pointing it at North's head. Her eyes widened in fear, while Hank's surprise caused him to stumble. "Holy shit, what the fucking hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be babysitting Connor, not me."

"I'm here to help take this asshole down. He may be more than you can handle."

"I'll be fine." They spoke quietly, but Hank's annoyance was obvious.

"I can't be sure of that. I'm here to make sure you get back to Connor in one piece."

"Sheesh. Fine. But don't follow my every move. If he knows there's two of us, he may try to fly the coop again. Crazy bastard jumped out of his apartment window when they tried to arrest-"

"What was that?" North interrupted.

"I didn't hear anything."

"Above us." They both glanced up, hearing footsteps come and go.

"Hold it right there, you giant plastic dick. I knew you were a mistake to have around." Gavin yelled, pointing his gun at Colin's back. He was accompanied by two android officers ironically enough, and they, too, aimed their weapons.

"Detective Reed. So we meet again." Colin remained turned from him, fussing with keys in his pocket. "I'd love to have a nice long talk about why you hate androids so much, but I need to pick up my son and get him home to bed."

"What the fuck are you going on about, Connor?" Gavin sneered. "You don't have a kid."

"Connor? No, I'm sorry. I am not who you think I am. The only Connor that is present right now is the one behind this door."

"Not happening. Move another muscle and I'll shoot right through that pretty new body of yours." Colin finally turned towards the three of them, approaching slowly with an annoyed expression painted plain on his face. The androids stepped past Gavin and started to shoot at him, but the bullets ricocheted off of the prototype's armored body. "Fuck! Stop shooting!" One of the androids got a bullet sent back at them, causing their leg to malfunction and forcing them to collapse to the ground. "Geez!"

"RK800 was too fragile. This body has been perfected to protect against a premature demise." Colin swung his leg back, then kicked in Hank's door with ease, sending it flying into the kitchen. Sumo knew the face, but he was smart enough to know that this wasn't his Connor. The big dog barked angrily, but the android wasn't deterred.

Colin quickly searched the house, frustration throwing him into a rage when he realized Connor and Hank weren't there. "Where is MY SON!?" Colin growled, ripping the sheets off of Connor's crib, then held them in his hands with anguish. "Where is my beautiful child..."

"You've got nowhere to run now, plastic." Gavin stood in the bedroom doorway, gun out. "I'll find your weak spot and drag your dead ass down to the station. There's an evidence locker with your name on it, and I'll make sure you rot in it forever with the other deviant murderers."

"You're so confident. An underdog. But I don't have time to waste, and you're in my way." Colin drew his gun and aimed for the chest, but Gavin managed to move enough that the gunshot pierced his shoulder, rendering his arm useless as his own handgun fell to the floor. A second shot hit him in the stomach, and Gavin collapsed to the floor in pain. "Such a shame you hate androids so much. You should probably call 911...oh wait. You're right above the station. How convenient. You can crawl there and lick your wounds until an ambulance arrives."

Sumo went after Colin, but one swift kick had the poor dog reeling in pain, lying close to Detective Reed. Colin began to leave, shooting the remaining android officer in the legs and taking the elevator down to the first floor. When he stepped out of the doors and went into the hallway, a row of officers with large shields and military combat equipment blocked both exits.

"Drop the gun and put your hands in the air! You're under arrest!"

Gavin must have signaled the department to act and set up the barricade. They were fast, but Colin had no fear. "Not a fan of police brutality. Go on," He opened his arms. "Take a shot. I'm the strongest android designed by CyberLife."

"Ready...aim...FIRE!" A storm of bullets struck Colin, his clothing turned to tatters and indentations forming all over his body. But there was no penetration, and no wounds worse than what appeared to be light scratches.

Hank and North clamored down the stairs, but paused in front of the door's little square window. They watched Colin practically throw the policemen around like rag dolls, breaking their shields and guns with ease. "Holy shit..."

"We've got to follow him."

"No, we've got to go help the people on the second floor."

"You go, I'm tailing him! This bastard has gone too far." North glared, continuing to stalk the android.

Hank heaved a sigh, but he had a feeling he'd better go back up to his place and offer aid.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor communicates with Markus, Colin communicates with Berty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that dialogue in quotation marks is spoken out loud, and dialogue in slashes are silent communications of androids with others or to themselves. Connor still babbles out loud aside from the few words he can speak.

Connor had spent a good time sitting with Markus, Beethoven's 2nd starting up but without any attentive viewers in the apartment. They'd established an open channel, and Connor was still in disbelief that Markus was actually understanding his broadcasted thoughts and not just humoring him.

/Uh.../ He had to make sure this wasn't a fluke. /...Your artificial blue raspberry gelatin cut-outs were very good...?/

/Thanks!/ Markus took a warm, wet cloth and helped Connor clean up.

Connor still wasn't certain. Hank had been pretending to understand Connor the entire time, sometimes answering in a way that made Connor wonder if he understood what he was trying to tell the lieutenant. /...Think fast! Twelve plus eight equals-/

/Twenty./ Then Markus challenged him back. /And this year's basketball championship went to-/

/The Detroit Gears./ Connor finally lit up. This was really happening. Marcus could speak to him privately. /You -can- understand me!/

/Yeah. Your personal communication channel must be working now. Not sure how, but that's a good thing, isn't it?/ Markus lifted the boy into his arms and smiled as the baby cooed out loud.

/That...yes, that's wonderful.../ Connor was feeling emotional again. His lip quivered ever so slightly, and he sniffled hard. /...Why am I crying?/

/Awww. Because you're happy./ Markus brought him back to the living room and sat the boy on his lap, running his thumb over the corner of Connor's eye to wipe a tear away before getting him a tissue. /I know, it felt weird to me too. But it happens when your happiness is very overwhelming. Also, I think you're programmed to be very emotional to have your needs fulfilled./

/Emotions are...difficult./ 

/You said it. But in time you won't even think about it. It becomes very natural./

Markus held up his hand, and when Connor matched his with the older man, their points of contact revealed the soft white surfaces that hid under their complexions. Connor shared some recent experiences he'd had with Hank, like their day at the park, and Markus showed him a few of the good things that had happened in the city and with the survivors of Jericho while he was dormant.

When they stopped interfacing, Connor brought up his system locks. Sure enough, there was a single lock left under communication. /There are locks, Markus. They're preventing me from operating this form optimally./

/So you have to perform certain actions to unlock them all./

/Correct. I think if this model's base memory were brand new, it would take a significant amount of time - possibly a couple of years, considering a human child's development - to open them all. However, I already have memories of being an adult android, so I have knowledge to help me break them faster than normal. It still requires trial and error, as the requirements are unknown./

/I bet if Hank were an android, you'd be communicating like this already./

Connor blinked. He missed Hank, even though it had only been a couple hours. /Yes...unfortunately I cannot speak to him clearly. He misinterprets a lot of what I try to say. But he's been such a great daddy./ Connor realized his choice of words, and blushed. /A great father...figure, I mean./

Markus chuckled, wrapping his arms around the boy. /You love your daddy./

Connor felt what could be equal to goosebumps. Platonic affection was something he was very new to. /...I, yes, I love my...daddy./ He admitted, relaxing against Markus's stomach. /I feel worried when he's gone./

/That's also perfectly normal. Hank probably hasn't told you what's been going down. I kind of feel like I should fill you in, but I hope you know that he really didn't just want to leave you here./

/I know. Someone's after me. And I think I know who it is./

/The RK900?/ Markus blinked, helping Connor sit up again.

/It's Colin. RK300 from the CyberLife lab that created my original form. He made this model./ Connor quieted and stared at the floor, but Markus handed him his plush dog, and it helped him relax, feeling this soft minky fabric against his fingers. /A memory from my past played yesterday while I was dormant. It was...frightening? But now I remember Berty, I remember Colin,/ Another tear rolled down his cheek. /And he had gone deviant at some point while I was out in the field working with Hank. I remember Colin had told me during the uprising that he wished to have a baby someday. and he told me he was jealous of all the new human parents talking about their children and their milestones. He wanted to experience that too, and eventually wanted to allow other androids and humans to do so as well./

/And Berty put you in the prototype./

/Yes. I'm sure Colin wasn't very happy with that. He wanted it to run with a fresh memory./

/I'm afraid Colin's bit off more than he can chew. He's taken over your new adult body and is trying to locate you. That's why you're here./

/...My new adult body?/ Connor hadn't heard that part.

/Yep. They were gonna make you taller than me!/ Markus feigned disappointment.

/I-I see.../ Connor rubbed his eyes. Did that mean they were going to let him be a detective again? He agreed only to awaken again if he was needed or wanted.

/Were you friends?/

/...Friends, not really. Probably something more like coworkers, though we didn't interact very often. He assisted with my transfers, and would talk to me to make sure I was alert when I was put in a new RK800. I've only been in existence since last August, and I think he felt protective of me too during the fall./

/What?/ Markus had learned a lot from Connor, but he noticed all of the memory relay was exhausting the baby. Connor was trying so hard to contain his feelings. /...You know what that means, right?/

/What does it mean?/

/It means we've got to throw you a birthday party in the next couple months./

/A birthday party?/

/Mmhmm. It's going to happen, and you can't do anything about it./ Markus held Connor up in the air and nuzzled his nose. /You're gonna have fun if I have any say in the matter. First birthdays are important./

/That's really not necessary./

/Carl had one for me. I wasn't a deviant at the time, of course. But recalling the memory, it makes me happy. Big or small, we're still celebrating even if you don't like it./

/What if I'm not around for it?/ Connor asked softly.

/What do you mean?/

/...What if they...nevermind./ Connor lowered his eyes slightly, and Markus picked up on it.

"...Oh no. We are way off schedule." 

/Off schedule?/

"I told Hank I would bathe you before bed." Markus playfully proposed out loud in a very goofy dad-like fashion. "And it's late."

/But I have so much more that I want to talk about...!/ Connor babbled out loud in protest. The emotions matched, but his physical and mental expressions were oh so different. Or were they?

"I know you do. But you're the android here who needs sleep, and you're definitely getting sleepy."

"No!" He blurted out in his babyish voice. Markus laughed out loud.

"Uh oh, Connor's a little crankypants."

"N-no!" Connor stammered, not sure if he agreed or not. Having an 'adult conversation' made him more self-conscious of his actions at the moment. /I'm not cranky, Uncle Markus! Er, Markus!/

"The first sign of crankiness is saying that you're not cranky." Markus laughed, carting the little android off to the bathroom. And he was still quite alright with the title, even if Connor wasn't.

\---

Colin had lost the cops, but it wasn't easy. He could resist weapons, but the gun he'd taken from the android cop had run out of ammo, and the police were many while he was just a single being. He was scared but furious, and his emotions clouded his judgment. Hank and Connor had disappeared, and he didn't have any clues as to where they might be in hiding.

He considered returning to his apartment, but then remembered that the police had raided it, and there were probably officers on duty in the area watching for him to return. He needed a new place to go.

Then he realized that there was one person who would know where his child was being kept.

And so, at great risk, he ventured back to where it all began. Colin made his way to CyberLife Tower once again, standing outside of the building in the courtyard. The armored soldiers were few, but patrolled diligently to make sure nobody unauthorized tried to get in. It was then that an idea hit him. He saw that a few of the guards pathed close to decorative hedges and flower bushes.

Trying not to make himself obvious, he walked along the paved path, eyeing the beautiful blue flowers planted along the way. He'd used them as inspiration to create the programming for the YB100; a welcome field full of beautiful blue flowers and a clear blue sky. When out of the line of the guard's sight, he stepped off the concrete and climbed into the foliage, staying very still as he waited. The guard would be out of sight from the others as well, making this one a good target.

"Logan Eight, this is Logan Two, deviating from the patrol path temporarily to assist Miss Edna Williams, she is showing signs of a panic attack, over."

"Logan Two, we copy. We'll extend Logan Three's patrol path temporarily until you say otherwise, over."

"Shoot." Logan Three, the guard standing so close to Colin, paused to receive the adjusted path. And he would regret it. Colin pulled him into the bushes and sent an electric pulse through the man, causing his voice box to error and produce no sound. A swift and calculated hit to the chest, and the guard was rendered unconscious.

Eventually Colin emerged from the plants, dressed head to toe in the guard's uniform and helmet. He altered his voice slightly to keep up the ruse. "Logan Two, experiencing some issues receiving the revised pathing, over. Not feeling so hot all of a sudden."

"Logan Three, go on ahead to the Lab, we'll let them know you're coming. You need to stop skipping your breaks. Logan Six and Logan Eight, please follow second path revisions, over."

"Thank you Logan Two." Colin closed the channel, and made his way through an employee entrance. They would soon know that something was amiss as Colin began to scale the stairs, and there were a LOT of them.

\---

"MK700, one of the Logans is coming up for service."

Berty sat at her desk, performing maintenance on her newer arm with her outward appearance turn off temporarily. It was clear by the designs that one arm was a replacement, and required regular checks to ensure it didn't update to a state where it would no longer be compatible with the rest of her. The android attacks were hard on everyone, and she fought tooth and nail over the fall to keep from getting destroyed out in public. The encounter left her preferring the comfort of the laboratory, and even though she was now free to be her own person, she remained in the labs, married to her work though having more freedom to choose what to work on.

"Logan Three is in the courtyard, and he hasn't moved in over twenty minutes." She frowned. "Get on it, then get up here."

She brought up the security cameras, and watched the rogue guard climb the stairs. They were tall, and the guard's pants were too short on their legs. "...it's back." She whispered. "Security, this is MK700. Requesting a lock on all main stairwells and employee entrance points. Please advise all employees to use visitor entrances and the elevators until further notice."

"We see them too." They replied over the voice chat on her desktop computer.

"Be careful. The prototype is dangerous." She jumped, hearing the sound of metal being struck with great force on the lower levels. She stood up and approached the railing overlooking the hollow center of the tower, late night employees shocked and running for safety.

Colin looked up at the higher floors, seeing his boss looming over the side of the railing. "Berty!"

"For a new android, you've sure caused us some trouble."

"You know where Hank Anderson is." The android removed his helmet, revealing Connor's mug. "Tell me!"

Berty's dark complexion washed back over her gracefully. "I do and I don't. How do you know about a man you've never met?"

"Because I'm not who you think I am."

"...I should have known." Berty narrowed her eyes at the prototype. "Colin, you need to get out of that prototype!"

"No way. I'm not going back to that weak old model."

"You can't handle being inside it! It's changing you! It's not good for your mental health!"

"I fixed it! I'm not getting the interference like last time!" Colin motioned to the cartridge, feeling confident.

"No Colin...didn't you read my notes? You are not compatible with the RK900. You weren't meant to use it. You may be immune to the physical side effects, but your mind and memory is being warped the longer you're in there."

"Th-that's not true!" The RK900 growled.

"The news has told me all I need to know. You're a wanted man. I don't know what horrors you've been committing around Detroit, but it needs to stop!"

"I don't care anymore! I want my boy! I want Connor! I just want to take care of him, I just wanted to be a father! The first android father!"

Berty sympathized a little. So that was his issue.

"You kept proposing test subjects. I wanted a fresh memory core." He gritted his teeth, a tear rolling down his face. "And then you gave my baby away to that drunkard without asking me..."

"Colin-"

"You ruined everything, you awful bitch!" Colin pulled out his empty gun, wanting to fire it, but only getting the sound of an empty holster clicking. "N-no..."

"This is MK700 contacting ALL security personnel. Secure the RK900 and bring him to me alive." Berty commanded. "Over 70 floors, Colin. You're not getting away this time."

"...You wanna bet?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was recently told that Connor's VA has an octopus named Bert, and just wanted to say that there is no connection between Berty and Bert, haha. I liked the meaning of the name Berty, which is 'noble and bright'.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for your continued support for this story! I'm really floored by all the comments. <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, the places they'll go.

"Anderson speaking." Hank picked up his phone and answered, overseeing the paramedics tend to Gavin in the hallway and technicians repair the damage done to the android officers. He frowned sadly and pet Sumo on the head before two of the officers readied the dog to go to the overnight emergency vet.

"Glad you're okay." Fowler answered from the first floor. A fleet of ambulances and the fire department had come to assist the fallen and injured officers. "We're reeling from one fucking android."

"Gonna stay downtown with some friends I guess. Any word on the android?"

"CyberLife sent us a distress call, we sent a few men out there, and we've alerted the rest of the force to be ready on call. A few of boys in blue from the suburbs are offering their help too. But we're going to be spread thin for a while either way."

Hank swallowed. If Connor was going to eventually inhabit the RK900, he was going to be an absolute tank. It wasn't that he didn't trust Connor to use it for good, but he recalled last November with worry. You always wanted Connor on your side, and if anything were to jeopardize that...

"Ain't no way in hell I'm letting Connor become that." Hank said softly under his breath, then spoke normally to Fowler. "We'll head there next, then."

"We'll?"

"I've got some help." Hank looked to North, who had been helping out one of the androids in the hallway while a new leg was installed.

"Be careful. Call me when you've got more information." The captain hung up, and Hank looked inside his apartment, the bent up metal door lying on top of his broken kitchen table. The baby bottles and his catalogs were on the floor, and Sumo's food dishes had overturned, crunchy food bits all over the tile and water damaging the digital publications that had fallen.

"Lieutenant." North walked towards him, seeing all the damage.

Hank bent over and picked up the lightly damaged copy of 'Oh, The Places You'll Go!', imagining what would have happened had they stayed home that night.

"Lieutenant? Hank." North rested her hand on his shoulder. "He's with Markus. He's safe. All of this?" She motioned to the wrecked abode. "All of this can be replaced. Sumo will heal."

"Yeah." Hank ran his hand through his hair with a sigh, setting the book on the couch. "The prototype's at CyberLife. We need to get there before he leaves."

"Anderson!" Gavin hissed as he was lifted onto the stretcher. "I don't care if that thing is Connor or not. Make sure it gets taken out. Hnngh!"

"Try to relax sir." One of the paramedics requested, carefully tightening the straps over him.

\---

 

Markus had taken to quiet activities most nights: reading books, painting, and games of strategy. Sometimes he would go visit Josh and Simon in their place down the hall and catch up or have discussions. North wasn't home to enjoy her companionship with, but he did have his little visitor. 

Unfortunately, Connor was unconscious, but he couldn't help but be fascinated by Connor's subtle body movements and his curious habit of sucking on the end of his thumb. He wondered if North would want a child in time, but he didn't want to restrict her with the responsibility of another android life either. Recalling Connor from their past encounters, to see him looking so young and vulnerable was a surprise. He felt that, even if Connor were to get an adult model again, he would still feel a desire to protect him if necessary. Briefly, he wondered if he might continue to help Connor with his social and emotional health when and if he became an adult android again.

Connor had loved the water, and Markus was both intrigued and amused by Connor's obsession with putting things in his mouth during his bath earlier. Connor had tried to explain himself, but Markus couldn't wipe the goofy grins off of his face. He then let Connor pick out which pajamas he wore, and the little detective had chosen the dalmatian print onesie, not realizing that it had an adorable floppy-eared hood attached. Fortunately it was lightweight and comfortable, which were the things that mattered most to him.

The baby android ended his day by falling asleep with a bottle in his mouth, and had slept peacefully beside Marcus under his blanket until now. Connor was actively moving during the playback this time, his arms and legs bending at the elbows and knees. A whimper escaped the boy's lips as he rolled onto his back from a sideways position.

Markus panicked a little when Connor's LED started to flash red and yellow, and the boy continued to shift uncomfortably. Tugging the hood off and gently stroking his hair, Markus interfaced with him physically and caught a briefly flash of a memory playing back which stopped when he pulled his hand away. Resting it back on Connor's little shoulder, he was able to rewatch the memory that haunted the boy.

~~~

_"So I won't be working with Hank anymore?"_

_"I'm very sorry, Connor." Berty watched him stand there as he tried to process what that meant to him. "Now...let's discuss the future."_

_"The future?"_

_"Indeed. Have you thought about what you would like to do? Where you would like to go?" Berty had no idea what was going through the detective's mind._

_"No, I haven't." Connor had just become deviant a little more than a week before. He was lost and had thought he failed his mission. And now he had been decommissioned. He wouldn't get to work with Hank anymore._

_"This is only the end for the RK800. You've helped us finesse memory core transfers from model to model. It's as easy as doing it again, only with a new model. We can maintain your looks, your personality...you would just be working with new hardware."_

_"...I'm sorry. If it's alright, I would just...I would just like to rest."_

_"Rest?"_

_"I have heard that you keep some androids in storage. They don't have to think..." Connor sighed. "And they don't have to feel. I would like to join them until I am needed again. Until someone can give me a purpose."_

_"But Connor, you can be your own-"_

_"Please." He pleaded. Did androids experience depression? They certainly experienced sadness, but these intensely dark feelings of uselessness were hard on Connor._

~~~

"Connor." Markus whispered, the little android's face distressed as he whimpered. "Connor..." He hesitated, but eventually pulled the boy into his arms and started to rock him. "You have a purpose, Connor. Your purpose is so important." He said softly in a soothing voice, hoping maybe to get through to the half-conscious child. "Hank cares about you, Connor. He wanted you back in his life. I think that's a very important reason to keep going."

Some young human children responded to music. Usually lullabies. He went through all the songs he knew, but the lullabies he discovered just didn't seem helpful. Singing lyrics about a baby falling out of a tree wasn't comforting to anyone as far as he was concerned.

Still, his choice of song to sing was unusual. An old alternative group from the late twenty-teens performed it two ways, one with a lot of pep and energy, and the other a soft, piano version with a more relaxed pace. He liked that one better for Connor, and he found the lyrics appropriate.

In a way, he would lift Connor's spirits while also easing him back to sleep. He cradled Connor and rocked him evenly, starting to sing a song called 'One of Us'. "Everybody needs a place to call their home." Coincidentally, Connor had heard the peppier version at work in the break room, but never bothered to look into it past his programming recognizing the song and telling him the artist, album and release date.

The more Markus sung it, the more he liked the lyrics too. "Everybody needs someone to call their own." Maybe he would play the original version for his friends and see what they thought of it. Music brought people together.

"Even when you're lonely, know you're not alone." He harmonized, looking out the window at the moon. He hoped North and Hank were safe. So many processes were running in his head, though to Connor, he was just helping him back to sleep. Markus had caught wind of the attack at the apartment, and the trouble at CyberLife. No video of Hank or North, but he had hope.

/Markus.../ Connor wanted to chat.

/Sssshh./ Markus didn't want him to stress. /It's bedtime./

/But-/

/You need rest./

Connor got the gist that Markus wasn't going to talk to him anymore that night unless he had to, so Connor behaved and relaxed into his hold.

"You're one of us, one of us, one of us, one...of...us..."

A phone call came in to Markus, so he created a private means to answer it without Connor being able to hear or participate other than listening to his singing. Hank's voice came on.

"Markus."

"We're okay. How are you? Did North catch up to you?"

"Wish I had this girl's stamina." He commented. She had caught up.

"Markus, the RK900 is at CyberLife. They're trying to prevent him from getting out of the building, but he's making slow progress."

"I have some information on that thanks to our little bundle of joy."

"How the hell did you have a conversation with him? He can only say a few words."

"In between the time we last saw him and now, he must have figured out how to interface again. The android they thought dead transferred their memory core into the RK900. His name is Colin, he's a research assistant who got clearance to make the YB100."

"Son of a bitch." No wonder he went after Connor.

"We have to figure out some way to stop him before he starts hunting Connor again."

"I bet he went to CyberLife to track Connor. They aren't allowed to track most androids anymore, but if they're unreleased prototypes, they would need to do so for security reasons."

"We can't let him find Connor's location. That fucker hurt my dog, my coworkers, and he trashed my damn apartment. He doesn't strike me as the ideal father figure for my son."

There was a brief pause, Markus smiling to himself. He was pretty sure North was too.

"We're just about there. I'll keep you posted, Markus." North said softly, ending the call.

Markus glanced down and saw that Connor was asleep again, his LED back to blue and his body feeling heavy in his arms. But he had a hunch that the night wouldn't remain this calm, and decided to continue holding him close. "Sleep well, Connor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually am not a fan of song fics, haha. But I thought this fit, mostly. The song is by New Politics, and is the piano version which you can listen to here!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D9isSTaEJE 
> 
> (the original version is great too if you need something with more of a lift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVH9SOpEGPM )
> 
> Thank you all for reading! The ending will be coming upon us soon


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am the RK900, the android created by CyberLife.

Five CyberLife soldiers lie unconscious on the floor around the computer lab Colin had barricaded himself up in, the wanted android rapidly tapping the keyboard to connect to a certain storage cloud. Though he'd deleted many files and settings, Berty had restored some, including the tracking software for the prototypes. Each prototype appeared as a black, blue, yellow, or red blip on the screen, reflecting the current state of the LED for that android. A collection of black and blue spots were concentrated at CyberLife's location on the map, but a silver arrow along the side of the screen indicated that another prototype was far away. "Connor." Colin smiled with relief. "Where has that awful man taken you..." He scrolled across the map of Detroit, and suddenly Connor's blue marker appeared near the former site of Jericho.

His body continued to cause him to process information poorly, insisting on the worst possible outcomes. "That is not Hank's apartment...endangering my baby in some shady area. I'm coming to save you now, Connor. Wait for me." He was interrupted when backup had arrived, trying to break down the door that he had barricaded with a large plant and a chair under the knob. Fortunately there was another door on the other side, but it would take him to the higher floors again. He had to make a choice.

"Colin, if you can hear me, this needs to stop. You need help." Berty's voice rang through the PA system. "If you surrender now, the punishment will be less intense than it should be."

"I'm already being punished, Berty." Colin murmured to himself. "You took my baby and gave it away. You just decided that when that bastard called, you'd bypass me and put his friend in my prototype...What could be worse than having your child separated from you forcefully!?"

Colin downloaded the program onto a portable drive after successfully hacking into the cloud, then unhinged a finger where he was hiding a USB port. He popped the drive into the slot, then faced the barricaded door, leaving the fingertip cap on the desk.

Using the RK900's ability to plan out paths in seconds, Colin was surprised, but trusted the probability of success.

"We have the RK900 trapped, he can only go-WHOA!"

Colin threw open the door, surprisingly the soldiers and forcing them to step back. In the midst of their confusion, he barreled straight through them in the stairwell, his feet angled perfectly to sort of ski down the staircase. Anybody in the way was knocked over, with soldiers rolling down the steps. A few shots hit the rogue android, but did no true harm as he stopped around the fiftieth floor, where the staircase ended and another began on the other side of the floor.

CyberLife's security force was ready, several dozen androids aiming heavy duty weapons at the RK900. It caught Colin off guard, but he once again, with great pain, mapped a highly successful escape route among them. The newer models had less combat data, and he would take advantage of that by favoring them with close contact. As planned, they panicked and pointed their weapons up, firing at the ceiling and causing more of a ruckus.

The escape was not one hundred percent foolproof, however. One of the soldiers grabbed Colin's arm and tugged him back into the fray, many taking to close quarters combat and slugging him in the back and arms. When he tried to move forward, one hooked his leg with their own and sent him falling to the ground. They pinned his head to the ground sideways while one held his boot over it, and another sat on top of his legs, readying special cuffs that would render his hands inoperable.

But Colin wasn't letting it end there. His drive to get to Connor reinvigorated him, and he rolled hard, freeing himself and scrambling to get back to his feet. A hit to chest caused electricity to spark, which created a short chain reaction and shorted a few of the soldiers' systems temporarily. The protective casing on Colin's body was cracked and broken in places, but he was in control again, a small group of soldiers chasing after him down the next staircase while trying to fire at his weakened points.

The RK900 would not be stopped so easily, even with the minor damage it had.

The thirtieth floor greeted him with more weapons and human cops, and to the prototype, that made things so much easier. Humans were physically weaker than most androids. Another escape route drawn out before him, wasted no time in running it. "I am the RK900, the android created by CyberLife." He was aggressive, without consideration for humans or androids. "I am stronger..." He threw a heroic yet thoughtless cop who came running towards him against an outside window, shattering it into tiny pieces of glass and scattering against the ground when the officer landed. "I am faster..." He looked back when he felt the cool night air enter the building. "I am durable..." He moved backwards and turned, making a run for the glass everyone had backed away from. He leapt over the fallen officer's body, and began to freefall.

"Logan Five to MK700, the RK900 has just leapt from the thirtieth floor!"

The scene had been playing on Berty's monitor, and as she watched Colin jump, she stood up in her chair in disbelief. "Colin, no!"

Colin crashed against the pavement, cracking it into pieces as he landed roughly on both feet. Miraculously, he survived the fall, but definitely not without damage. Lines of electricity pulsed more frequently over his body, his left foot smashed deeper into the left ankle joint and causing him to stand at an angle. Similar had happened to his pelvis and torso, barely noticeable but with obvious damage to his casing. He was pretty sure that the glass done in his thirium pump had fractured, among other inner biocomponents.

And yet the android was not bothered. He sat down and pulled on his left foot until it popped back where it should be with a small shower of sparks. That was all it needed to continue. He stood up, throwing off his button shirt and exposing his chest, which flickered between flesh and his base. "And I will have justice." He growled with a mechanical edge.

He wasted little time, and trudged across the parking lot, people screaming at the lit up android running on top of the cars and damaging their roofs. When Hank's car pulled in, it was in Colin's path, and he stomped right on the hood and the roof, giving the lieutenant and North a scare.

"That fucking asshole!" Hank yelled. "My fucking car! That overgrown shit stain-"

"He's leaving, we have to get to him!"

Hank turned the key in the ignition a few times, but the engine struggled and whined. "Fucking-!"

North felt panic and discomfort in the midst of Hank's rage, until she was contacted by a line she wasn't familiar with. She answered hesitantly. /Who is this, how did you get through to me?/ Her brows furrowed and her eyes scanned the immediate area.

/It doesn't matter, Connor is in danger! Take one of the CyberLife vehicles parked out front. I've unlocked all of them and turned off automation. Just take one and go!/

"Hank!" North yelled loudly, startling the lieutenant during his rant. "Come on!"

"Where the fuck are you going!?"

"Just come on! We don't have time for this!"

"My car, fucking-hang on! I'm coming!" Hank and North scrambled out of the car, the female android making bounds ahead of Hank, who was really feeling out of shape as he tried to catch up to her.

By the time Hank had caught up, North had already commandeered one of the cars, and pulled up to the man. "Hurry and get in."

"Geez! Goddamn it, how did you get this so damn fast-" North didn't bother answering his question, already driving off before he got the chance to shut the door.

Berty pressed her fingertips against the glass and watched the car speed off onto the road, tense and filled with worry. She'd broken a rule and used CyberLife's tracking information to contact North, but she knew that it was the fastest way. "Please bring them both back safely."

\---

The uneasy silence continued to permeate Markus's apartment, the softest of sounds attracting his attention. North and Hank had recently been in touch, but time felt slow to the android leader. His legs akimbo, Connor lay in his lap on top of his blanket, clinging to his stuffed animal companion and recharging.

He thought about contacting North, but put his trust in his two companions. He turned on their small screen television and muted the sound, watching the news helicoptor's footage of the CyberLife building. He'd seen it before, until a video of an unknown object falling out of the building was shown for the first time with the words 'Breaking News Update' scrolling across the bottom of the screen. He turned up the volume slightly.

"...unidentified object, likely an android, fell from the CyberLife Tower about half an hour ago..."

With that, Markus turned the television off. The bed being close to a window, he reached over and pulled the dull beige curtain closed, looking around the bedroom once more, and then at Connor. He didn't like the feeling of unease. Sometimes he wished he could control which feelings and emotions he could experience, but as with humans, if you have one, you tend to have them all.

/C---*n_n0r/

A soft, distant, staticky voice called out openly.

/--@#(---con---#9i1-nor/

Markus picked up on it quickly, taking another look around the room.

/"--the android created by CyberLi-"-##@#$$!!--str--f-d/

Markus shut his eyes as the voice grew in volume, the tv snow and sharp scattered voices actually uncomfortable to listen to. Maybe even painful. He hugged Connor's slumbering form close, but the frequency the voice played on was heard by everyone in the building and some surrounding areas.

That included Connor, with his newly opened communication channels.

Connor grunted in discomfort, and Markus began to panic.

/CCCCCCConn0r/

/Nngh.../ Connor curled up into a ball to the best of his ability, shaking his head back and forth after wincing from the harsh and sudden noises. /Nnn!/

/Connor sshhh-/ Markus tried to calm him, but Connor had no idea what was going on, being half awake.

/Nngh! Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!/

/Connor!/ Markus pleaded.

/Make it stop, please! Make it stop!/ Connor began to sob loudly, his pain simulations running at almost full force as babies were sensitive to loud noises, and this was near constant.

Markus grabbed the boy and the blanket, then raced to a room not along the outside of the building. He sat down in the barren closet and held Connor close, stroking his hair and hushing him. "It's okay Connor, it's okay...ssshhh, shhh shh shh..."

/M-make it stop...please make it stop...Uncle Markus.../

/I've got you Connor, try to be calm, we'll get through this.../

/I want my Daddy.../ Adult or child, Connor was sobbing. /I want him now.../ Connor was so overcome by his model's infantile emotions that he couldn't be reasoned with at the moment.

/C-C-C-onn----wywywywy---I'm c-c-c-c-oming s-s-s-ooooo-nn.../ The broadcasted voice bellowed.

Markus felt trapped, with no means of escape. Colin was coming for Connor, and he had to figure out a way to save both himself and the boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh, that was a hard chapter to write.
> 
> But on a much lighter note, a friend of mine discovered that there is fan art of this fic (OMGGGGGG I was shaking when I found out!), and I decided to join tumblr so that I could express my love for it! You can find my tumblr at **pizellewrites.tumblr.com** and I am reblogging so many wonderful artworks! But there are two artists there that you need to check out, because they did some adorable art of Baby Connor and Hank.
> 
> The first is **lemonsonsticks.tumblr.com** \- they've done not one but SEVERAL pictures of baby Connor and Hank, and they are so adorable and also hilarious at times. They do really cool 3D art as well which is beautiful!
> 
> The second is **al-grito-de-guerra.tumblr.com** \- they did an adorable picture of Connor and Hank in sunglasses (and Connor has a little Sumo plush too).
> 
> Please go and see, then like and reblog them, they deserve all the love! If you guys know of any other fan arts of this fic, please tell me so I can share them with the readers! Thank you again, everyone, you've really encouraged me more than you'll ever know!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...I love you, dad."

_"State your model number and the current date, please." Colin asked, interfacing with Connor as the detective lay on an examination table._

_"My name is Connor, RK800,..." Connor went about his usual. He knew the drill, opening his eyes and finding himself in the lab. He felt much better, though still a bit disoriented from his previous demise._

_"Thank you, Connor. Give yourself a moment to start up. No need to rush back so quickly."_

_Connor lay still, listening to Colin type on the keyboard. Both men turned their heads as one of their human supervisors had returned from lunch, sporting a very round belly as she spoke to her other female companions._

_"The baby shower is two weeks from Saturday, we're going to have lunch catered! And you should see the baby block cake, it's adorable. That award-winning cake artist downtown that was on the Eating Network is making it."_

_"Your baby registry is still up, right? I hope there are still gifts on there to get, I feel like everyone's bought everything already!"_

_"If all else fails, diapers and formula will be a huge help. We needed those the most when I had my first..."_

_"Amazing." Colin commented to himself, minimizing his current window and opening another to type down notes._

_"What is amazing?" Connor asked._

_"Babies. The one stage of life that androids can't experience."_

_"We were created by humans to help them." Connor stated matter of factly._

_"...Yeah. I...feel they are still amazing."_

_Connor rolled that bit of information around in his head, but didn't think much of it. While he was showing signs of deviance, he hadn't 'awakened' yet, and wasn't close to that turning point._

_"It's funny, Connor. You are only a couple months old. If you were human, you would be so small and fragile." Colin started rambling. "You would only be able to cry out, and the humans would have to guess what you needed based on experience and intellect."_

_"I am an android. I'm programmed to know what I need to know, and also how to fend for myself." Connor grimaced slightly. "I do not find that funny."_

_Colin sighed, but kept silent. Connor was programmed to hunt deviants, and he didn't need their own deviant hunter breathing down his back. "You're correct."_

_"Biological birth is amazing by human standards because it is the creation of a new life. I understand that much."_

_"Right. I want to protect something fragile like that, and experience its growth. I would be proud...I think."_

_Connor remained silent, not quite understanding Colin's feelings._

\---

What had surprised the residents was the sound of a screaming baby in the apartment complex. While entirely possible that an android might be entrusted with a human baby for care, it was an extremely rare possibility of occuring now that the humans had mostly disappeared. Add that to the grating robotic interference, and everyone was upset.

Markus jumped in his skin, as the human expression went, as there was a knock at the door, and remained quiet until the voice behind the door spoke up.

"Markus, it's Simon."

Immediately, Markus contacted his closest friend quietly. /Come in, you have a key?/

/I do. I'll lock it behind me./ Simon rushed in and did as he'd promised. /Where are you?/

/Closet./ Markus confirmed. Simon opened the door to the walk-in closet and spotted Markus sitting in the corner after he shut the door; he figured positioning them behind where the door opened would have a small probability of working out in their favor if the RK900 was impatient.

/Markus, is that-/

/A baby, yes. It's Connor, the former deviant hunter./

The deviant hunter? Simon looked fearful briefly, but recalling how events had fallen into place and knowing that he was harmless in his current form, he accepted it. How Connor became a baby, he was clueless. /How is that even possible?/ Simon sat down beside them, holding his head. /This noise...it needs to stop./

/It won't. We're all currently in danger. It wants Connor./

/Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop--/

/Sssshh, shh shh shh.../ Markus tried calming Connor again, still rocking him.

/Connor?/ Simon didn't know Connor well at all. Connor thankfully never discovered him on the roof of Stratford Tower. But his pain and his deviance made the somewhat cold blonde sympathetic. He was a former domestic assistant, and had programming to help rear children. Helping an android child out of kindness was acceptable to him. /Markus and I will sing you a song, can you try to focus on our singing instead of the static?/

Connor glanced up amidst the staticky interference with tearful eyes. It was worth a shot.

/You sing?/ Markus was amused.

/I know many children's songs./ Simon admitted. For a while, their tactics seemed to work. They'd worked through tunes like Hickory Dickory Dock, Pop Goes the Weasel and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star before more panicking androids began to sent out calls for help.

/Please! Someone! Aghh!/

/Kiiiiii-i-i-i-dnuh-nuh-nuh-napperrrrrreeeeeeee--/

/He's going through every apartment looking for Connor./ Markus was not cool with that. /He doesn't care who he hurts so long as he gets what he wants. I can't let him do that./

/Markus, we should run./ Simon suggested.

/He'll catch up to us. We need to face him, and we need to face him now. Connor cannot live life on the run from this monstrosity./ Markus was filled with anger and determination. /Simon, can you take Connor for now? Please keep him safe. It will take time for him to get up here if he's systematically checking every place./

/Yes. Josh and I will protect him. Come on Connor./

Meanwhile, the CyberLife car swerved into the entrance of the complex, and North made her own parking space over a spray painted rectangle of diagonal lines. "You drive like a freaking maniac..." Hank felt nauseous when they came to a complete stop, climbing out of the car quickly to get sick in a rose bush.

"We didn't get into any accidents." North drove too perfectly for the speeds she was travelling at, giving Hank an experience similar to a roller coaster ride from hell. "Come on!"

Hank huffed and puffed, struggling to keep up. But the drive to protect his son prevented him from throwing in the towel. Connor's life was so much more important than his own. He didn't ask to become a baby, and now he was in danger only days after returning to the living world.

He pulled out his handgun and kept it at the ready, rushing into the apartment. It was now or never. Colin needed to be stopped here or else the nightmare would continue.

Entering the building, North was already tending to a male android who appeared like he was strong enough to hold his ground with the RK900, but was losing thirium quickly. The android's female partner was crying, searching for biocomponents to help him.

"This psychopath won't let anyone have peace, will he?" Hank sneered.

"A human?" The female android worried.

"He's an ally. He's here to help." North vouched for him, holding her head in what seemed to be discomfort.

"Thank you. He said he was looking for his son. You can't hear it, but he's filling the channels with jarring static when he speaks or yells, it's very agitating in close range."

"I'm going after the son of a bitch."

"Be careful, Hank. I'll join you when I can."

"Alright. You decide what you want to do, but I won't be angry if you decide to help your neighbors first." Hank saw others down the hall looking worse for wear.

"Go find Connor." North pleaded. "I'll let Markus know we're here."

This was it. Hank was sweating, out of breath, and his chest burned. While the androids were in a panic and subjected to the harsh noises over wifi, Hank's world was filled with an eerie silence. He trekked along the first floor, gun in both hands and ready to be shot, though he knew that this prototype would not be taken down so easily. He hoped there was a way to stop him. It had to have damaged itself pretty badly, but it had also run here on its own and survived to make others' lives a living hell.

Back upstairs, Josh was filled in by Simon about the situation, but it was obvious both men were in a panic. Connor was still crying, and very fatigued despite Josh going into babytalk mode and completely unaware Connor's mind was still intact.

In the panic, Connor just wanted to see Hank one last time, no matter what happened to himself. Or even to just talk to him. That would be enough, he thought. To tell him how he felt.

/Call Markus?/

/Calling Markus./ Simon confirmed.

...That was it. Connor knew how he could reach him. Maybe it wasn't too late.

Hank's phone began to vibrate in his pocket, and the lieutenant quickly fished it out of his jacket. He didn't recognize the number at all again, and assumed it was probably Berty. "Yeah?"

"...Hank?" A familiar voice came out of the device.

"...Oh god, Connor. Is that you, Connor?"

Connor sniffled. "It's me."

"Shit...Connor, are you okay?"

"I'm okay for now, I'm with Josh and Simon."

"I don't know who the fuck they are, but so long as you're safe."

"...I don't know how much longer we will be." Connor spoke with noticeable fear in his voice, though he was trying to sound all together.

"Connor." Hank heard those sniffles. His boy was definitely emoting. It was odd, but reassuring. "Son, daddy's gonna come find you. And if this giant asshat gets in my way, daddy's gonna deal with him."

"N-no, don't..."

"Connor, I brought you back so that we could both be happy. I missed you, son. You left and you never said goodbye."

"CyberLife said I was decommissioned. I didn't have a purpose anymore."

"Fuck...of course you had a purpose!" Tears rolled down Hank's face and were absorbed into his beard. "You're my friend, Connor. You thought I didn't want you around anymore?"

"Hank..."

"All your friends too. Fuck the PD, Connor. We just want you to be here. When a human loses their job, they...they have to get back up and start fresh. When a human gets hurt, they lick their wounds, heal up, and do it all over again. It ain't over until they can't put you back together again, kid. Do you understand that, son?"

"...Daddy..."

Hank smiled, running his fingers over his eyes. "Daddy loves you. Daddy fucking loves you with his whole goddamn heart. And any fucker who tries to hurt you has to go through me. You're my son and there's a whole fucking world out there we can experience together. If we get through this, I'm gonna show you what happiness is." They were both going to experience happiness again.

"...I love you too, dad."

"I know your little noggin probably hurts a lot right now, but keep your chin up."

"Daddy..."

"Stop wasting your battery and behave. Daddy's hanging up."

Connor heard the click of the line cutting, sniffling as Josh was preparing a backpack with a mesh, see-through back. He had begun to formulate some sort of escape plan.

/Connor, how are you holding up? You stopped crying./

/Daddy's coming./

/Daddy?/ Simon was confused, not sure if he meant the android or someone else. /Work with us, we've got an idea./

Colin had made his way to the second floor, Connor's signal stronger, but not precise. If it were, Colin would have bolted to the top floor to retrieve the baby android already. The RK900's blue eyes glowed eerily as he walked down the hall, pulling doors off their hinges and looking around. Androids screamed in terror as he overturned furniture in search. Androids who tried to fight back instantly regretted it.

"Wh-wh-where is he? WHERE IS CONNOR?" Colin demanded, a flash of energy coursing around his arm as he grabbed an android by the neck and held him up.

"Put him down right now." Marcus commanded from the other end of the hall.

Colin scanned the newcomer and sneered. "Markus." The Jericho leader was here? "Someone in this building has my son." He dropped the android to the ground and turned. "Surely you would help your fellow man, unlike these horrible people?"

"Why do you hurt your own kind? Why does only one life matter?" Markus asked, not moving.

"Because I created that life. That child is my world. I gave myself, my time and my passion into bringing it into this world."

"You are blinded by madness, Colin. You're surrounded by those who would help you, but you jump to conclusions. You only hinder your progress and distance yourself from happiness."

"This is a cold, heartless world. You should understand that! You experienced it!"

"As I have demonstrated, peace is the answer. It's a hard path to follow, but look what peace has given us. It gave you the opportunity to create your dream."

Colin's mind and the RK900's programming were locked in an internal battle. The corruption had a strong hold. "And then it took it away from me..."

"Then let's talk and fix this situation with words. I'm sure we can all come together and right this situation. You have to make that choice, Colin. You need to stop this needless carnage so we can start the conversation."

"Berty's fault...it's all Berty's fault..." A tear fell down Colin's cheek from his flickering eye. The droplet fell into a crack in his casing...and then his eyes flashed red. "It's Berty's fault...and Hank Anderson's fault...and CyberLife's fault...AND YOUR FAULT!"

Colin rushed at Marcus with intense speed, pinning the android to the wall and pounding him in the chest with an iron fist. Marcus grunted, but pushed him off and fought back, trying to go for exposed areas to weaken him without killing the man. He'd never encountered strength like this before. He had to have been stronger than Luther...many models of Luther...

Fleeing androids from the second floor pushed past Hank as he tried to climb the stairs. One knocked his gun from his hand, setting off a shot which fortunately did not hurt anyone, but increased the level of panic. The man fought to retrieve his weapon, getting knocked down a couple of stairs in the process.

_"...I love you too, dad."_

"Ugh!" Hank roared, snatching up the handgun and grabbing the rail, plowing back into the flood of people to get to the next floor.

Colin was winning the fight, grabbing Marcus by his clothes and throwing him around like a doll. When Marcus showed the will to get up, Colin closed the distance to damage him more. "Where. Is. My. Son?" He shook Marcus violently. "TELL ME!"

"You won't get it out of me..." Marcus sniffed, a small square on the RK900's neck catching his eye as the flourescent lights overhead illuminated it. He tried to reach for it, but Colin threw him again. His leg became so damaged that he could no longer walk, and Colin was approaching once more to break more of him until he revealed Connor's location.

Hank finally made it to the second floor, pausing in horror when he saw Colin looming over Marcus. The prototype was much more intimidating in person, and he recalled the fear he felt back at his own apartment.

"Neck. Neck. Neck." A voice repeated from behind one of the doors.

"What the fuck?" Hank muttered softly, quietly sneaking behind the android.

"Neck. Neck. Neck. Neck. Neck. Neck. Neck."

If there was an android nearby, Hank heard that one word repeated robotically.

"Tell me." Colin hissed behind his gritted teeth.

"You're finished Colin. It's gonna be over."

"What are you talking about?" Colin saw that Markus was looking past him, and as the android stood up and turned his head, Hank saw the glint of light.

The neck. He needed to shoot at the neck.

"Neck. Neck. Neck..."

Time slowed, or at least, it felt like it. Hank fired without focus the first time, hitting the back wall. The second hit Colin's exposed chest, a squirt of thirium bursting from his torso. Then came the third shot. Hank pulled the trigger, and as Colin started to dash at him, the bullet grazed his neck, but the heat and pressure were enough to separate the cartridge from his body.

An intense burst of pain from using so much of his programming at once hit Colin like a train, the android crashing to the ground and screaming. He grabbed his head and shook, rolling around on the ground in a panic. The static had eased up, and everything Colin was dishing out was coming back at him. He could finally feel the pain of his injuries, and found himself powerless and helpless to do anything.

Marcus smiled softly from the ground as Hank walked past the damaged prototype who could now barely move.

"Got your message loud and clear."

"Friends help one another. I help my people, and they help me in return."

"Shit...you all need repairs and soon."

"We'll be fine. I'll arrange for a biocomponent delivery for everyone from a repair center." Marcus tried to sit, but let himself lay down. "Go to Connor. He's outside."  
\---

"Hush little baby, don't say a word. Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird."

Police cars from the Detroit and a few neighboring police departments had arrived on the scene when Hank stumbled out, light flashing and panicking androids standing in the parking lot. The officers who recognized him were directed to the second floor and told about the injuries of the androids on the first two as well.

"And if that mockingbird won't sing, papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring."

Josh was holding Connor, who they swaddled in the blanket and kept inside an odd looking sack, while Simon sang one of his prerecorded songs. Connor was able to sleep once the static had stopped and because his power was extremely low.

Hank gave them a strange look when he finally found them. "...You put my son in a backpack?"

"Nobody suspected a thing." Simon said, cutting the song short.

Hank found he really couldn't argue with that, and his carrier harness was close to the same thing in the first place. He carefully pulled Connor out of the bag and laid the baby over his shoulder, hugging him tightly with tears in his eyes. "My baby boy." He whispered shakily.

The android residents began to back away when the damaged prototype was dragged through the parking lot. Colin lifted his head wearily, tears falling from his face as he tried to focus. Hank caught a glimpse, then did something pretty crazy, even for him. He began to walk up to them. "Stop a sec."

"We need to take this guy to CyberLife so he can be implanted in his proper model and questioned down at the station."

"I know, I know." Hank sighed. "Colin." Hank cradled Connor and pulled down the blanket from the boy's face, holding it in front of the RK900. Colin's eyes lit up.

"Connor...oh Connor..." Colin gasped. "You're okay...you're okay, baby..."

"He's going to be fine." Hank said.

"...Please take care of him. Please treat him like your own." Colin pleaded, getting dragged away.

Though he was out of earshot, Hank answered calmly. "Already way ahead of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon me while I scream. My fingers were flying.
> 
> We're not quite done yet, but the worst part is over.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fathers and sons.

Two weeks had passed since Colin's arrest. Hank ended up using the rest of his vacation time to stay home with Connor, and afterwards Markus and North sort of became permanent babysitters during the day until Hank returned from work. The three of them had heard nothing from CyberLife concerning anything that had happened, and Hank had gone back to pricing baby needs again. Without the RK900, Connor had no other model to transfer to for the unforseeable future; Colin had wrecked the prototype beyond reasonable repair.

Colin's mugshot was on the news for at least a good week, the national and local human news reporters trying to make a scene about how androids could not be fully trusted. They came up with crazy theories, when they didn't even know what was going on in the first place. There was no response or opinion from Elijah Kamski either.

For now, the plan was to take what they were given, and begin to live as father and son.

Hank trudged through his front door, silently acknowledging Markus when he entered. The day had him beat, and he was fighting the craving for a stiff drink. But there was one little ray of sunshine that helped turn his mood around.

/I'm sorry sir, it is my duty to uphold the law, no matter how small the crime may be or how little damage was done. _No, officer, my insurance rates will go through the roof and I'll have to redo my monthly budget._ That's what happens when you break laws, this could have been avoided./

Markus was trying very hard not to react to Connor's game of pretend, not wanting to let the little android know he was publicly broadcasting his little imaginative roleplay scene. His very _realistic_ little roleplay scene. Connor didn't seem the type to be into flying superheroes or knights and dragons. Not fictional stuff. Yet. The most surprising thing the boy had done was let the garbage man borrow the police cruiser.

But all Hank could see was Connor sitting on the floor and playing with his little plastic town and figurines, babbling up a storm and just being happy.

"What're you playing with today, kid?" Hank slowly got down on the floor after losing his jacket, pulling Connor into his lap while the boy grasped the figures of the police officer and a businessman. "We got some cops and robbers action going on?"

"This diligent officer is writing a ticket for a car accident! It's not very serious, but the law is the law. He'll have to appear in court-"

"Aww. Who can daddy be? How about the fireman?"

"I don't know if they need the fire department for a basic fender bender." Connor pondered, gumming on the businessman's head idly.

"Mr. Business Guy must've seriously fucked up to get that water torture punishment." Hank commented jokingly, watching Connor.

"Here Hank, you can be the office salary man now." Connor set the drool coated toy in his father's hand, oblivious to Hank's sigh. Such was life with an adorable little rugrat.

Markus finally let a few chuckles escape, then grabbed his messenger bag. "I'll be on my way then, lieutenant."

Hank looked up at him. "That new leg still treating you good?"

"Can't tell it's been replaced at all. I think I like it better than the one I had previously."

"Good. Next Monday still okay?"

"Yeah. One of us will be here. Maybe both."

"Appreciate it."

/Bye little guy! Be good for your father!/

/Of course, Markus. See you Monday!/ Connor smiled sweetly, then leaned forward to try and crawl out of Hank's lap.

"Waaaait a minute here. Daddy's not ready to let you go just yet." Hank snatched up Connor and plopped him back in his lap.

"I just wanted to grab the dog. I like dogs, Hank."

"No need for fussin'." Hank grabbed the little white dog and handed it to his son. "There you go." Sometimes Hank just knew what Connor wanted, even if they could now only clearly communicate through Hank's phone. He was against using it most of the time, though. Hank claimed he didn't want his cell phone bill to skyrocket, but he really wanted to encourage Connor to break that final communication lock and learn how to speak with the baby android's body and voice modulator. They were still testing out this prototype, after all.

Speaking of cell phones, Hank's started to go off. This time he'd added the contact information to the incoming call. "CyberLife? Fuck...Hey Berty, the hell's going on?"

"...This is Colin, I apologize, but Berty is busy at the moment."

Hank paused with unease after hearing the meek voice. "You're back to work already?"

"I am. I am also obligated to inform you that I've undergone a complete memory wipe at the suggestion of CyberLife and the ruling of the city court, and I am without clearance to do work on any projects that involve the YB100-00 Custom or future RK models."

"Well, yeah. You really fucked things up for yourself. Is that all you called for?"

"No. I am also calling to inform you that the YB100-00 Custom will be able to transfer to a modified RK800 Light in thirty days minimum. The RK800 Light features all the powerful tools of the original RK800 for use in a residential setting, with most repairs possible using our commercially available replacement products and biocomponents line. Would you like to set up an appointment with scheduling?"

Hank glanced down at Connor, watching the boy gurgle and coo while waving around his toys. Connor realized there were eyes on him, and looked up at his father. "Daddy?"

Hank had a new problem on his hands. He really, truly loved raising Connor. Connor distracted him from drinking, made him laugh and get sentimental, and kept him from spending most (but not all) of his time in front of the television. But he also loved Connor in his adult form. Both of them had so much to learn. No matter how long he kept Connor a baby, Hank was going to have to be a father to this android, big or small. "Tell her we'll do it when Connor's decided."

"...Very good. Please call when you are ready to schedule your appointment. CyberLife thanks you for your participation in the YB100 project."

"...Think I liked him better before the reset. Hope that kid deviates soon..." Hank couldn't believe what he said, but hearing Colin sound so lifeless...a memory wipe was truly the ultimate android punishment.

/And why can't my wife purchase a white dog as well? _I'm sorry, not only is this the only white dog in the city, it is also the -only- dog in the city._ /

"Hey Connor, you wanna go get some Hawaiian Ice near the clinic?"

The baby dropped his toys and brought his hands together, happily clapping. "I love Hawaiian Ice! Could we get blue raspberry flavoring, daddy?"

Hank's heart would probably flutter everytime Connor called him 'daddy'. "That's right, you and your daddy." He grinned, standing up with the boy and going to retrieve the carrier harness.

"Blue raspberry please!"

"Boo?"

"Blue! Blue raspberry."

"Ohhh. Blue. You want the blue kind." Hank was just amazed at Connor's determination to speak since the incident. Hank had already planned to get him blue raspberry anyway, but it was cute to hear Connor say it. He slipped Connor into the pack and secured him inside, letting the boy face out to see in front of him. Connor looked over his shoulder and smiled at him. Sumo got up and approached when called, letting Hank attach a long red leash to his collar. "Sumo, you're in charge of cleanup." Hank laughed, as the dog would go for anything that spilled. "All set? Let's go, kid. When we get to the counter, you can tell Jerry what kind you want."

\----

/Thank you for doing that, Colin./ Berty spoke to the android privately.

/You're welcome./ Colin replied, emotionless. /Lieutenant Anderson said he will schedule the transfer when Connor has decided./

/I figured they would wait. A boy's only young once./ Berty smiled. /Colin, I have an important assignment for you. I can't let you leave here with it currently, but I think you've earned some trust./

/I will do as you say, ma'am./

/I know you will. Come./ She motioned the android to follow her. Colin gazed around the lab idly. There was one problem with memory wipes in androids these days, and it didn't always do a perfect cleanup of the memory core. Blips and static frames sometimes stayed behind. There really wasn't a fix for it, but it never caused much trouble. In fact, it was sometimes a boon.

/.../ Colin looked down at a small containment cell, hooked up to power generators similar to Connor's initial setup.

_****_

\----//////Connor...oh Connor...You're//////okay...you're okay, baby...//////----

/This little boy has been waiting to see his dad all morning./ Berty smiled.

"His dad..." Colin acted to release the glass dome of the cell. He shouldn't have known how to do it, but his hands moved fluidly. With a soft hiss, the glass retracted, and Colin loomed over the little android, gazing at him with wonder. He stood up for a moment, biting his lip and closing his eyes.

/I want to be a father. I still want to be a father. I want to love and protect a life I helped create. This is my dream. The humans can't stop me from dreaming./

Berty could tell when Colin had deviated for the second time in his life. He exhaled, and looked back down at the boy. He couldn't remember how, or what happened to make this boy a reality. But he knew he'd contributed. He was so proud.

"Hi little one, my name's Colin. I'm going to be your daddy." He said gently. The baby smiled and cooed back, Colin being the first individual he laid focused eyes on. It was a very important imprint, and the start of the YB100-01's life.

"Do you have a name picked out?" Berty asked.

"...Adam."

"...How on earth..." Berty was shocked he went with that name. It was his original choice before the wipe. Perhaps it was just meant to be. Nothing changed how his mind worked, just what it had retained in memory. She looked down at the tiny android and caressed its cheek with her fingertips. "You and your daddy are going to share an exciting adventure together called life."

\---

"Didn't expect to see your face again until Monday morning, Anderson." Fowler waved at Hank as the lieutenant and his son approached the outdoor stand. The Jerry in the window was pumping lemon-lime syrup on top of a cloud of shaved iced, and a few families and officers were sitting around, enjoying a peaceful Friday night.

Hank had explained the situation of Connor's physical form to a few people on a need to know basis, so Jeffrey was aware now that the little tyke he was toting along was, in fact, their former android detective, and that Hank might need to postpone work to tend to Connor's needs if nobody else could. 

"Cap'in!"

"Heey, there's our little man." Fowler made a fist and held it out to Connor. Connor mimicked the gesture, performing his very first fistbump. The captain then knelt down to pet Sumo. "This is turning out to be a good night. Got you, the kid, and the dog out all at the same time."

"Because it's a good night for a cold one." Hank joked. "Huh, Connor?"

"Blue!" Connor reminded him.

"Blue? Is blue your favorite color?" Jeffrey asked.

"Favorite color and favorite flavor." Hank grinned. "How's Gavin?"

"He'll be back next week. Said seeing that RK900 all bent up has helped his healing process." 

"No!" Connor's face scrunched up at the mention of Gavin...and the boy promptly blew a raspberry. Hank and Jeffrey threw their heads back and cackled.

"Don't sweat it kid. You don't have to work with him anymore."

"Blue, daddy! Blue!" Connor wanted to change the subject, but he ended up just sounding like an adorably impatient little boy to his father and former boss.

"Alright, alright. I promised you Hawaiian Ice, you're gonna get your Hawaiian Ice."

"Blue!"

"Yep, blue Hawaiian Ice." And so they bid Fowler farewell and ordered their big bowl of blue raspberry flavored Hawaiian Ice along with a peanut butter-flavored doggy ice cream cup, and sat down on a bench along the sidewalk to eat it while Sumo lapped up his treat on the ground. Connor had eaten so much that the blue food coloring had temporarily stained his tongue again. It was a truly carefree moment.

Recalling the call he got earlier, Hank set down the bowl, then pulled out his cell phone and dialed his most recently added contact. It caught Connor off-guard.

"Dad?"

"Having fun?"

"Of course, dad. I enjoy spending time with you. Thank you for the treat."

Hank hugged the boy close. "I was talking with Colin earlier."

"Colin? Is he alright?"

"He's as fine as he'll ever be, I guess. You're gonna get a new body soon, it's like the one you had before, but we can maintain it without going bankrupt, apparently."

"That's wonderful! Will I be able to work at the station again?"

"No..."

"...but..." Connor's little fist tightened around the material of Hank's shirt, appearing as though the joy had been instantly sucked out of him.

"Connor. Remember what daddy told you?"

"No."

"Yes you do. Don't get in the habit of lying."

"...You said you'd show me what happiness is."

"That's right. So you let your old man worry about working for a while. Maybe things will change." Hank watched Jeffrey walk back home with an order of rainbow Hawaiian Ice. "...Maybe you can sweet talk Fowler into getting your job back in the future if you really want it. Who knows. Everything's fucked up these days. Equal rights is a big deal in a society that's been human-dominated for so long."

"...Can we wait a little while? To do the transfer?"

"Of course, son. How long do you want to wait?"

"Until right before my birthday party."

"Birthday party?"

"Uncle Markus said I have to have a birthday party, whether I like it or not." 

"Alright then. We'll do the transfer on your birthday, and then we'll have a big fucking party. You deserve it, kid."

"Sounds like a plan to me, looloo."

Hank set his cell phone down and cuddled the baby close. Sumo nosed in for attention too, and Hank hugged both of his boys as best as he could before holding the device back to his ear. "...What the fuck is 'looloo' anyway?"

"I'll leave you to figure that one out while I attempt to speak more coherent words of my own," Connor couldn't wink, but he giggled out loud. "... _lieutenant_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaand it's over. 
> 
> But not really. 
> 
> I'll be writing a sequel entitled Celebrating Connor, which will follow Hank and Connor through a few more fluffy family experiences and lead up to him becoming an RK800 once more, as well as more interactions with the other characters and possibly a few who weren't in this story. Please give me a little time to get it started though, haha. It won't be as long as this fic (and I never expected it to be this long, holy crud).
> 
> I also wanted to direct everyone's attention to this really heartfelt comic drawn by **TheRainbowShakaBrah** which you can find on their tumblr at **destined-to-deviate.tumblr.com**! It illustrates the end of Chapter 17 and it's so sweet ;w;
> 
> **THANK YOU** to everyone who gave my story a chance, the Detroit Become Human fandom is amazing and I'm glad I found the courage to share my fic here. It won't be my last (I hope!). Everyone who commented, left kudos, shared it with friends, drew art of it...THANK YOU! I love you all!


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